Showcase
Times Past, 1954
Blake’s Seven
by CSyphrett
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 1
Big Lou’s had been a recruiting station for hired thugs in Gotham for as long as anyone could remember. It rested squarely on the waterfront, with a nice view of the harbor.
That night in 1954, a stranger walked into the bar. He was tall, with regular features, and a slight scar over one eye. His dark hair was swept back from his forehead. He walked over to the bar with a quiet confidence, the clientele regarding him with the suspicion of men in their profession. The bartender tried to move away from the stranger while serving drinks to his customers.
“I am looking for Paul Twitchell,” the stranger said. His voice cut across the bar noise while sounding normal.
The bartender took a look at the stranger’s metallic green eyes, and swallowed what he was about to say. “He’s over there at the table,” he finally choked out.
“Thank you,” the stranger said. He walked over to the pool table and regarded the two men playing for a second.
“Mr. Twitchell, I would like to hire you,” the stranger said. “My name is Adam Blake.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 2
“Can it wait?” asked one of the pool players. He was a ferret-like man wearing a loose sweater over a pair of brown pants. His hands shook visibly as he took aim with the pool cue. “I’m about to clean this sucker out.”
“Big talk, Twitch,” said the other player. “You’re three hundred points down. All I need is three or four balls.”
“Go ahead, Mister Twitchell,” said Blake. My business can wait for the necessary minutes.”
Paul Twitchell closed his eyes after making sure he was on line with the cue ball. His hands became still as he took two practice strokes. He broke the rack with a sure stroke. Every ball went into a pocket.
“How did you do that?” said the other man. “That’s crazy.”
“Watch me do it again,” said Twitchell, racking up the balls. Blake noticed the man’s body was vibrating again as he moved.
He said nothing as he calmly watched Twitchell sink two more racks in the same fashion. He was only still when he aimed his shot, and constantly moving otherwise.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 3
“So what’s the job?” asked Twitchell, after he picked up his winnings from the table. He smiled slightly as he shook in place.
“I am looking for certain men, and was told that you could help me find one of them,” Blake said, as he led the way to an empty table.
“Who’re you looking for?” Twitchell said. He had brought a bottle of beer and sipped at it. “I know lots of guys.”
“I am looking for Culver Morrigan,” Blake said.
Twitch spit his beer on the floor in surprise. “I don’t know him,” declared Twitch, trying to stand up. “I don’t know anyone named Morrigan.”
Blake held him in place with one hand on his shoulder. “What about his alias, Mr. Twitchell?” he said. “I know you have heard of Deadman.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 4
“Cully Morrigan doesn’t like people looking for him,” said Twitch. “He’s one guy I don’t want to come looking for me.”
“I understand your fear,” said Blake. “He is essential to the group that I am putting together, as are you.”
“What are you gonna do,” asked Twitch, “rob a bank?”
“How do people normally contact Mr. Morrigan?” Blake said.
“Through the personals,” said Twitch. He finished the remains of his beer. “He’s been a bit paranoid since the Joker tried to off him.”
“I can imagine,” said Blake.
Twitch sat back in his chair, regarding his visitor. There was something strange about him. It was like he was wearing a mask over his true face. Something just didn’t add up here. Paul Twitchell was a small-time gambler and stoolie. Culver Morrigan killed people as a profession. What kind of organization needed two diverse types like that? More importantly, how much was he paying?
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 5
The two men seemed odd as they walked together. Paul Twitchell continually moved some part of his body in a fidgety dance. Adam Blake was as calm as a sheet of glass.
“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Twitch said nervously.
“A few minutes of Mr. Morrigan’s time will tell us if he is the man I think he is,” said Blake. “I doubt he will shoot us for asking if he wants to be employed for a limited time.”
“You don’t know Cully, do you?” asked Twitch.
“I am afraid we have never met,” said Blake.
“Oh boy,” said Twitch, sweat dripped from his long nose and chin.
The two stopped in front of a dilapidated house. A broken stone wall with a rusty iron gate was the only barrier to the wide expanse of a yard. Blake squinted in the moonlight, examing the house.
“Stay here, Mr. Twitchell,” Blake said.
“Sounds good to me,” said the stool pidgeon, but Blake had already leaped over the wall with ease. He glided across the lawn like a phantom.
Blake paused here and there as he circled the house. He used the wall to ascend to a second story and entered through a window. He worked his way down to the first floor, avoiding debris and wreckage as if he could see in the pitch black.
A man stood, looking out the window. He held a pistol in one hand as he stared at where Twitch’s hat paced outside the gate. Apparently he had not seen Blake’s entrance onto the grounds.
“I am here to talk as stated, Mr. Morrigan,” Blake said calmly.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 6
The man spun and emptied the pistol at Blake. As the slide on the .45 locked back his smiling face seemed puzzled. His target still stood by the staircase.
“Can we talk now, Mr. Morrigan?” Blake said mildly.
“You’re lucky I was shooting to miss,” said Morrigan. His skin was chalk white, and he couldn’t seem to stop smiling. He calmly reloaded.
A possible consequence of dealing with the Joker? Blake thought, noting the man’s appearance. He gestured at a pair of chairs. The men sat, quietly regarding each other.
“What do you want?” Morrigan said first.
“I am hiring a small group of assistants,” said Blake. “Your name was recommended as a ‘shooter’.”
“Who recommended me?” Morrigan asked.
“Private sources,” said Blake.
“Who?” said Morrigan.
“Private sources.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 7
“So I should take your word, right?” said Culver Morrigan.
“Mister Twitchell has informed me of your problem with certain individuals, Mister Morrigan,” said Blake in his regular voice. “I am in a position to help you with that, and will if you enter my employ.”
“You’re smooth, but I don’t think you know what you are talking about,” said Morrigan.
“It is your choice,” Blake said. He stood up. “Sooner or later, your problem is going to come home. You will be alone when that happens.”
“Safety in numbers, huh?” Morrigan said.
“Not perfect safety,” Blake said. “I have a dangerous task to undertake, so I cannot promise that you will even be safe helping me.”
“How much are you paying?” Morrigan asked.
“Double whatever you are charging,” said Blake.
“I’m in,” said Morrigan.
“Good,” said Blake.
The two men left the house. The hitman didn’t see Blake drop the seven bullets he had caught by the door as they went.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 8
Blake and Morrigan walked out to the street. Twitch grimaced without thinking when he saw the hitman’s pale face.
“Mr. Twitchell, meet Mr. Morrigan,” Blake said calmly. “Mr. Morrigan, this is Mr. Twitchell.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Twitch said with a sickly smile, holding out a hand.
Morrigan stared at the hand until it was redrawn shakily.
“Mr. Morrigan, I need you to secure a pilot and airplane,” said Blake. “It will need to be able to fly long range fast as well as land on water as well as land.”
“Got it,” said the hitman. “Any preferences?”
“A cargo carrier will be in line with what I want,” said the mystery-man.
“Call this number when you find one.” Blake handed him a white card with just the phone number on it.
“On my way,” said Morrigan, walking away silently.
“Mr. Twitchell, I need you to find out whatever you can about an island in the South Pacific,” said Blake. “Its name is Kolanskia.”
“On it, Chief,” said the nervous man. He took a card and walked away.
Blake walked to his next destination.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 9
Adam Blake walked purposely through the night. He wondered if he was doing the right thing involving others in his war. He told himself that he had no choice.
He regarded his destination as he approached the square building he had set up as a headquarters this time. It looked like all the other abandoned buildings he had bought around it. He wondered how much time he had before he had to wander again. That didn’t matter, he chided himself. He was here to do a job, not settle like a hen upon eggs. That’s what mattered.
Still, it would have been nice to remain in one place for a while, even if it was job-related.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 10
Blake placed his hand on a metallic plate next to the door. The door unlocked and opened for him. He stepped inside, letting the door shut and lock behind him.
“Hello, Adam,” said a balding man in glasses, who stepped into the lobby of the building from a room at the center of the block of buildings. “How did it go?”
“Mr. Morrigan and Mr. Twitchell are exactly what I need,” said Blake. “Mr. Morrigan is extremely quick and accurate, and Mr. Twitchell can change probabilities just as you surmised.”
“So they have joined your cause?” asked the balding man, taking off his glasses and polishing them with a cloth.
“I would not say that,” Blake responded. “They are acting for me because I have offered them some money.”
“That might not be wise, Adam,” said the other man.
“I know, Professor Nichols, I know.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 11
Cully Morrigan had went to the airport from his meeting with Blake. He knew the place well, from a couple of smuggling deals he had took part in.
Morrigan thought of himself as one of the more successful criminals in Gotham. Out of all the deals he had took part in, he had the good fortune of never seeing the Batman. He knew how rare that was in a city that was practically seeing the crimebuster act every day.
He bypassed the airport terminal and headed for the private hangars away from the main buildings. He rubbed the numb flesh of his face and wished he had never met the Joker. That had been a costly mistake, no matter how you sliced it.
Morrigan wondered about missing Blake back at the house. He had never did that before. He had noticed there were no bullet holes anywhere around the spot where Blake was standing, or in Blake either.
That’s what made up his mind to join up with the stranger. If he could make bullets disappear in mid-air, maybe he could make the Joker disappear also.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 12
Cully walked along the private hangars until he found the one he wanted. It seemed broken down on the outside of the corrugated building. Morrigan knew the pilot and mechanic kept their plane in top condition. He had even used them a couple of times for fast trips across the country.
The hitman knocked on the plain wooden door. The sign above the door swung lazily back and forth on rusty chains. The sign said “HARRIGAN AVIATION SERVICES” in a faded blue and silver.
“What can I do for you?” said the blond man who answered the door.
“I need to hire a plane, Hop,” said Morrigan.
“Come on in, Cully,” the pilot said, stepping out of the way.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 13
Cully Morrigan knew Harrigan had run afoul of the House Un-American Committee, same as a lot of guys. That had broken him and his girl up as he tried to deal with the slurs to his patriotism, and in the process he had lost the company he was Vice-President of, the All-American Aviation Company.
Morrigan felt they went after the wrong guys. You don’t get any more un-American than some of these bigshot villains. You don’t see them in front of a bunch of Congressmen, lying their guts out. Still, he was here on a job. He wasn’t getting paid money to be sympathetic to Harrigan’s plight.
The two men settled into the only two chairs in the hangar.
“What’s going on, Cully?” Harrigan asked. Morrigan wasn’t one for the social niceties the pilot remembered with a small smile.
“I hired on with this guy, Blake,” said Cully. “He wants a big plane with plenty of room and speed that can land on water. The Jenny fits the bill perfectly.”
“Blake?” said Harrigan. “A mobster?”
Morrigan thought about the seven missing bullets.
“No,” he said.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 14
“When do you want to take off, Cully?” Harrigan asked. “We’ll have to file a flight plan and fuel up Jenny.” Hop Harrigan’s relatively modern cargo plane was named in honor of his father’s antique JN-4 “Jenny” biplane with which he learned to fly as a youth, over a decade ago now.
“Let me make a call,” said Cully. “Blake didn’t give me a lot of details, except he was in some kind of rush.”
“Here you go,” said Harrigan with a smile as he handed over a phone. “So you finally got some honest work?”
Morrigan listened to phone before he answered. He really didn’t know anything about what he was hired on to do.
“It’s work,” he settled for saying as the subject of their conversation answered.
“Hello,” said Blake in his quiet voice.
“I have a plane and pilot,” said Morrigan. “They need a lot of details before you can leave the city.”
“Tell them that we are headed into the South Pacific as soon as they are ready. A flight plan to Perth, Australia should be filed.”
“Right,” said Morrigan.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 15
Paul Twitchell was amazed at the public library. He had never even been inside before meeting Blake. You learn something new every day, he told himself as the librarian pointed him in the right direction.
Where had this place been all his life? Of course, it would help if he could read a lot better. Still, there were plenty of maps and summaries of the place for the asking. He wondered why this would interest his new boss.
Twitch had never been on a plane before, either. Still, he was going to get a lot of smackers for his help and involvement.
That was when Twitch thought about how much he really knew, and shook a little more since it was next to nothing.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 16
Twitch gathered as much material as he could. He called the number he had been given and had gotten an address to go to.
He took a taxi over to the place, and was surprised by the block of buildings there. He paid the driver off before walking up to the door.
This Blake had weird taste, and didn’t he believe in doorknobs? The door opened, and Blake gestured for Twitch to come in. He seemed remarkably still as his eyes fell on the material from the library. A great poker player, Twitch decided.
“Here’s everything I could find,” Twitch said as he followed Blake deeper into the building.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 17
“This is Professor Nichols,” said Blake, introducing a balding man in eyeglasses. “Professor, this is Mr. Twitchell.”
“Twitch is just fine, Prof,” said the shaking man. He held out his hand and Nichols shook it, feeling like he had put his hand in a blender afterwards.
Blake led the way into a huge library. He placed Twitch’s research on a huge table. He sorted it with a practiced quickness. The job was very thorough, he admitted. The man had even dug up aerial photos from somewhere.
A piece of pure luck.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 18
“The official stuff is short and to the point,” said Twitch. “Natives live there, moved by the United States, island bombed with A-bombs.”
“So there should be no one there,” said Blake. His metallic eyes considered the aerial photos intently.
“Right,” said Twitch. “The Navy still uses it for artilliary practice or something, according to the latest thing I could dig up.”
“Someone is on that island, according to these pictures,” said Blake. He pulled a drawer open on the desk and brought out a magnifying glass. “It looks like a concealed encampment of some type.”
“How can you tell?” asked Twitch.
Blake held the glass over the picture. Men in white suits were clearly visible when he did so.
“It looks like your seismic readings were correct as we feared, Professor Nichols,” Blake said.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 19
“What’s this seismic stuff?” asked Twitch. “It’s trouble, right?”
“We don’t know for sure,” said Nichols. “There were some tremors, and this island is at the epicenter.”
“Yes, Mr. Twitchell,” said Blake, placing the glass on the table. “It is trouble.”
“We don’t know that for sure, Adam,” protested Nichols.
“What do you think, Mr. Twitchell?” said Blake as he retreated from the table.
Twitch picked up the glass and held it over the photo. He stared at it for a while.
“I have to agree with the chief, Prof,” he said finally. “This is nothing but trouble.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 20
“Give me a hand, Mr. Twitchell,” Blake asked from what appeared to Twitch like something from those grade-B monster movies.
“What do you need, chief?” asked the shaky stool pidgeon.
“We are going to pack some equipment for our flight,” said Blake, bearing a pair of silver cases in his hands. “Grab those other two for me, will you?”
“No problem,” said Twitch. He tried to pick up both cases and immediately put them down. One would have to do. He hefted it up on his shoulder and followed Blake to a garage in the back of the building.
How does he do that stuff? Twitch asked himself. Eyes like an eagle, and muscles of a bear. He can’t be a mystery-man, unless he’s Batman, or even Superman, since most of them retired with the JSA.
The cases quickly went into the trunk of a plain black sedan.
Was Blake even his real name?
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 21
Twitch loaded the last case. He shook his head at the room he had seen. Machinery hummed everywhere. In the center was some kind of solitary steel chamber with a hatch in the front. A typewriter was hooked up to a TV on one of the desks.
What did Blake really plan? Worse what kind of trouble was he getting Twitch and Cully into? There were a bunch of guys in that picture.
Maybe he should ask for more money.
Blake had changed from his black suit to black fatigues with a yellow hourglass on the arm. A black beret was folded into an epaulet.
He looked at a box hooked to the phone. Twitch noticed numbers were displayed on the top of the box.
Blake picked up the phone and dialed the number on the box. “Is Culver Morrigan there?” he said into the phone. He waited for a few seconds. “We are on our way to the airport, Mr. Morrigan.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 22
Morrigan put the phone down on its hook. How the heck did he know where to call? Nothing was said about Hop’s plane service. The hitman could see the pilot was thinking the same thing.
“What your boss have to say?” Harrigan asked.
“He’s on his way,” said Cully. “He’s bringing some essentials.”
“We’ll be ready to go by the time he gets here,” said Harrigan. “A trip to Austrailia is a long haul, and we’re going to have to refuel at least twice.”
“Blake can cover that,” said Morrigan. “I’m going over to the airport and get a sandwich. You want anything?”
“I’ll pass,” said Harrigan. “I’ve got some baloney sandwiches in the fridge.”
“OK,” said Cully. He left the hangar quietly.
“This is a fine mess,” said Hop’s friend and mechanic “Tank” Tinker from inside the engine cowling.
“It’s strange, I’ll say,” said Harrigan, “but it also seems legitimate.”
“Not to mention we can’t turn down a paying customer or we’ll sink like a rock.”
“Not to mention that,” agreed Harrigan. “At least Blake isn’t telling us our business.”
“Even odds he will by the time we get back,” said Tank.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 23
Adam Blake, Paul Twitchell, and Professor Carter Nichols drove around the airport perimeter until the Harrigan hangar came into sight. Blake pulled the car gently to a stop in beside the building.
“Looks like a dive,” said Twitch, as he got out of the car.
“Do you think this is wise, Adam?” asked Nichols, standing beside the shaky informant, polishing his pince-nez with a soft cloth before replacing them on his nose.
“This is the only way to cover the distance involved with any amount of speed, Professor Nichols,” said Blake. “There is a certain amount of risk, but all we can do is minimize potential problems. Our quarry will not wait much longer before he makes a move of some kind.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 24
“Blake?” asked a blond man in coveralls. “I’m Hop Harrigan and this is my mechanic, Tank Tinker. Cully went to get something to eat.”
“Yes, I am Blake,” he said, the chief, metallic green eyes seeming to glow for a second as he considered the two men. “This is Professor Nichols, and Mr. Twitchell,” he said, indicating the men. “How soon can we be ready to leave?”
“Any time you’re ready to go,” said Harrigan, with a smile. “In a hurry?”
“Yes,” said Blake. “Mr. Twitchell, please tell Mr. Morrigan we are getting ready to leave the city.”
“Right, chief,” said Twitch, sauntering away, whistling.
Blake pulled two of the cases from the trunk of the car and took them aboard the Jenny. He strapped them down efficiently, before retrieving the other two and placing them onboard.
Tank rolled his eyes in ‘what did I tell you?’ movement. Harrigan smiled at his old friend before grabbing his clipboard for the pre-flight checklist.
“We don’t know if this is connected to the readings I recieved from Winston Rayne,” said Nichols.
“We will, Professor,” said Blake. “We will.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 25
Twitch wandered into the airport. He kept his hands in his pockets and his eyes roving the place as he walked to the hot dog joint they had for travelers. He saw two familiar figures before they saw him, and he stepped into concealment behind a column, then moved over behind a baggage cart to get closer.
One of the guys was Franko. That wasn’t good.
Franko pulled a grenade from a pocket, then pulled the pin. Twitch knew he was going to throw it into the little restaurant.
The informant grabbed a small bag. He closed his eyes, feeling the world still. He threw the bag, knowing it would go where he wanted. The bag sailed across the room in a nice trajectory. It clipped Franko’s arm, making him drop the grenade. Smoke poured from the metal object.
There was a sound of smashing glass and the roar of gunshots. Twitch saw Franko take a couple in the chest as he tried to get some cover. The other guy had held a tommy gun before Morrigan turned his attention on him. Twitch watched the man dance for a second before Morrigan was through with him.
More men began pouring down the concourse towards Blake’s assistants.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 26
“Mr. Harrigan, please ready the plane to get underway,” Blake said. “I shall be right back.”
“Sure, Mister–” said Harrigan, stopping when he saw that Blake was halfway to the airport building.
“Geez, he can move,” said Tank, speaking the pilot’s thought aloud.
“You heard the man,” said Hop. “Let’s get ready to fly.”
Ten men had come to the aid of Franko and his associate. That was the only thing that saved Franko’s life.
As the gangsters came into the concourse, firing as they went, Cully Morrigan met them with fire from his own automatics. He fired both pistols empty as he sought some protective cover behind an airline counter. Four of the men went down as bullets cracked against wood and glass.
A figure in black burst from the front door behind the gangsters. They didn’t even hear him as he struck among them like lightning. Twitch, the only observer, could not follow what was exactly was going on except that bodies flew everywhere under heavy blows.
Morrigan reloaded and stood up. He, Blake, and Twitch were the only ones standing.
“Let us go, gentlemen,” said Blake, calm and placid as a still lake. “We will have to leave before they think about stopping the flights out of the city.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 27
Blake led his associates out of the airport. Metallic green eyes scanned for more trouble as the three jogged across the tarmac.
Harrigan’s Jenny rolled out of the Harrigan hangar as they slowed to a walk. Professor Nichols held the door open for them. Blake seized the little ladder with one hand, as he helped Twitch board with the other. Cully grabbed the ladder and swarmed up it easily. Blake did an arm pull and was standing beside the professor.
It was only a minute’s work to dog the door shut.
“The tower doesn’t want us to take off,” announced Harrigan.
“Tell the operator it is a medical emergency,” said Blake.
“They’ll take my license away,” said Harrigan.
“No, they will not,” said Blake.
“We have clearance,” said Harrigan. “You were right.”
The Jenny soared into the air easily.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 28
“We will need to land at San Fransico, Mr. Harrigan,” said Blake. He betrayed no emotion over the narrow escape from Gotham City.
“Right,” said Hop. “We’ll need to refuel anyway before heading out over the Pacific. Let me guess — Australia isn’t our final destination.”
“No, it is not,” said the mystery-man. “We shall probably be heading to an island south of the continent after refueling in Perth.”
“What’s there?” asked Tank from the co-pilot’s chair.
“I don’t know,” said Blake.
The two old friends looked at each other with an understanding born of years of adventuring. Trouble was ahead, and they were flying into it.
“That was Franko,” said Twitch, as the chief took a seat in the cabin. “Back at the airport, I mean.”
“Franko?” said Blake.
“He works for the Joker,” said Cully, pale face and rictus composed eerily as placid as Blake’s. “Does odd jobs for the most part, I think.”
“Odd jobs like ventilating people,” said Twitch, with a credible imitation of a tommy gun.
“Marvelous,” said Professor Nichols, deep in his chair.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 29
“We’re out of Gotham, Prof,” said Twitch. “The Joker’d be cra — well, he won’t follow us out of Gotham City.”
“How do we explain what happened at the airport?” asked Nichols.
“We don’t,” said Morrigan. He took out a portable cleaning kit and disassembled his automatics. He began to clean the firearms methodically and sure.
“Mr. Harrigan will have to answer questions for the authorities,” said Nichols. Twitch and Cully both stared at the Professor. “He will, won’t he?” said Nichols.
“It will not come to that,” said Blake. “If we are right, official inquiry will be the least of our problems.”
“What do you mean?” asked Nichols.
“We’ll be dead,” said Twitch, shakily.
“Or wish we were,” said Morrigan, scraping dirt from the barrel of one .45 with a brush.
“I would not say that,” said Blake, but he didn’t offer alternatives either.
“Very comforting,” said Nichols.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 30
The trip to California on the Jenny was quiet and uneventful. The group landed as a bank of fog began to blow in from the bay. Blake led the way off the plane.
“Mr. Morrigan, if you and Mr. Twitchell would wait here while the plane is refueled, Professor Nichols and I will talk to the professor’s colleague and come right back,” said the chief. “Shall we, Professor?” he said, making a gesture for the Professor to lead the way.
“We have come a long way on a hunch, Adam,” said Nichols.
“Rayne will confirm or deny our theory,” said Blake. “Even if he denies the theory, why are men working on a still radioactive island?”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 31
Blake and Nichols took a cab to the Angel Island Ferry. They crossed over to the island, the Golden Gate shining down on them.
“What are you planning, Adam?” the Professor asked his silent companion.
“I plan to at least overlook the place,” Blake said quietly. “There is something going on out there. Something that will have to be dealt with.”
“Why not let Batman or Superman do it?” asked the Professor.
“The JSA is gone,” said Blake. “Most, if not all, of the other heroes will retire with them. Batman and Superman will not have the time to divert to this. Not on a suspicion from a stranger.”
“So we’re the world’s best chance?” said Nichols, with a snort.
“I admit this could get you and the others killed,” said Blake. “Hopefully all that is required is a flight over the place and a flight back.”
“Hopefully,” said Nichols.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 32
The house on Angel Island was a huge, sprawling piece of rock surrounded by a small forest and several fences. The cab paused at the front gate long enough for Nichols to identify himself. The guard waved them through.
The cab halted before the front door. “Wait here, please,” said Blake. “We will be going back to the airport when we are done.”
“That’s fine with me, Mac,” said the cab driver. He pulled a newspaper from the passenger seat and unfolded it.
The door opened before Blake could ring the doorbell. The butler sized both men up as he stepped back from the door. “Master Rayne is waiting for you in the library,” said the butler. “If you will follow me.”
He shut the door and led the visitors into a room with a twenty foot ceiling and filled with books. A table big enough for six sat in the middle of the room. A small staircase led to a balcony that ran around the middle of the tall room.
“Professor Nichols,” said one of the men waiting with a smile. He came forward to shake Nichols’ hand. “This is Jonathan Boyle,” he said, introducing the other man.
“Adam Blake,” said Blake, shaking the man’s hand.
“This is about those readings, isn’t it?” said Rayne.
“Yes,” said Blake.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 33
Rayne left the library for several minutes, returning with a stack of paper. He placed the pile on the table, and began spreading it out.
“This is the reading we sent to Carter,” said Rayne. “And this a reading we took an hour ago. This line represents the vibration in the Earth’s crust. As you can see, the vibration has worsened in the intervening time.”
“Are you sure of the epicenter?” asked Nichols, regarding the charts with a bright eye.
“US command in Japan has given us a triangulation for the place,” said Boyle. He indicated a chart with various markings on it.
“May we take these, or copies?” said Blake.
“Surely,” said Rayne. “Are you going to check this out?”
“I have decided to look in on the problem,” said Blake.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 34
“Your thinking parallels ours?” asked Rayne. “This isn’t natural tectonic activity.”
“I would be surprised if it were natural,” said Blake. “Something is causing this event. Something other than the rubbing of natural plates together along a fault line.”
Rayne took the charts and packed them in a briefcase. He handed them over to the mystery-man. “If you would like some assistance, I’m sure the Foundation would help organize an expedition.”
“I already have what I need, Doctor,” said Blake evenly. “I am the only one who is going to be exploring that island, and have taken precautions against unnecessary risks.”
“I see,” said Rayne. He glanced at Boyle. “Still, there is a man in Australia we know who will help you if you need him. His name is Swan; Alec Swan. He’s the best man we have over there.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” said Blake. “We must be going. We have a long flight ahead of us.”
“I’ll show you out,” said Rayne, leading the two visitors to the front door. He watched them get into a cab and drive away.
“Something strange about that man, Jonathan,” Rayne said absently to his associate. “Something strange.”
“I’ll send Alec a telegram to get ready for those two,” said Boyle.
“Yes,” said Rayne. “That is a wise thing to do. I don’t quite trust this Blake. I have a feeling about him.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 35
Blake and Nichols arrived back at the airport. They had spent the long ride in silence as they pored over the charts and graphs. Blake’s face retained its customary immobility as Nichols grew more agitated.
They walked to where the Jenny waited for them. “Ready to go?” said Harrigan as he smiled at the pair.
“Yes,” said Blake.
The group boarded the large plane quietly. “Get what you came for, chief?” asked Twitch. “I mean, this is a wild goose chase, right?”
“No,” said Blake, “it is not.”
Cully’s rictus grew larger. “Give me the tenspot,” he said to the informant with evident glee. He held out a hand with clutching fingers.
“I can’t believe I lost a bet,” complained Twitch as he fished a crumpled bill from his wallet, and handed it over.
“Never bet against a sure thing, you schmuck,” said Morrigan with an evil grin.
The engines on the Jenny started rotating. Harrigan’s voice drifted back, asking for clearance. Minutes later, the heavy cargo plane soared through the air.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 36
The Jenny soared over the Pacific, as graceful as any bird. One long hop took the group to Hawaii. After a quick refueling, they were on the long haul to Australia. They touched down in Perth smoothly.
“Mr. Harrigan, we will need a smaller plane for the next part of our trip,” Blake said, as the group disembarked.
“I’ll get on it,” said the pilot.
“It will have to be amphibious,” Blake said, holding two of the equipment cases in his hands. Twitch and Morrigan had the other two.
“No problem,” said the pilot. “When do you want to go out to this island?”
“As soon as we have had some rest,” said Blake. “The rest of the way will be a bit strenuous, I would offer.”
“Double or nothing, we get shot at when we get to this island,” whispered Twitch.
“That’s a sucker bet if I ever heard one,” said Morrigan scornfully.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 37
Adam Blake led his small group across the tarmac. They were passed through customs without problems. Morrigan and Twitch looked at each other without comment. A large car awaited outside the airport. The driver held a sign with “Blake” written on it.
“I didn’t know you called ahead, Chief,” said Twitch.
“I did not.”
“Are you Blake and company?” asked the driver. “I’m Alec Swan. Winston Rayne called and said you might need a bit of a hand.”
“That was… unnecessary,” said Blake.
“Winnie worries, you know,” smiled Swan.
” ‘Winnie’?” Nichols muttered under his breath.
“I see,” said Blake. “We were going to get some sleep at a hotel before starting out in the morning. If you wish to join us, that will be fine.”
“Here you go,” Swan said, opening the trunk of the sedan. The equipment cases fitted neatly. “I know just the place,” said Swan. “The foundation uses it as a field quarters.”
“That will be fine,” said Blake, letting the others board the sedan, before grabbing the window frame and stepping on the running board. “Proceed, Mister Swan.”
Swan drove forward, smiling.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 38
The small group arrived at their destination in a few minutes. Blake called the airport to let Harrigan and Tank know where to go when they needed him, if they needed him. Swan checked them in, and led them upstairs to their rooms. Blake’s equipment cases passed for luggage as they were carried up the long staircase.
“This thing is heavy,” said Twitch under his breath.
“What’s your point?” asked Morrigan quietly. “Blake is carrying two of these things like he’s walking through the park.”
“He must have got lighter ones,” Twitch said.
“I think they weigh the same,” said Morrigan. “I got a different one than the one I had, and it weighs the same.”
Blake gave no sign of hearing the conversation as he followed Swan to their group of rooms. He wanted them to talk without hindrance. He had already revealed too much about his abilities as it was. He certainly didn’t want them to know that he could hear everything happening around the hotel as clear as if he was in the room with the participants. That was something he would keep to himself for now. If he was pressed, he would reveal it when he had no choice in the matter.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 39
Blake waited for the others to settle in their rooms before checking the contents of the cases. Everything was in order. He locked the cases and placed them in the closet, then left the room silently and walked down the hall. He walked upstairs and found a ladder leading to the roof. He climbed up, pausing at the top to observe the city around the hotel, and found a place to sit in a shadow.
The wooden ladder creaked as someone ascended behind the adventurer. Swan poked his head above the roof entrance. He paused, not seeing Blake where he sat. He stepped onto the roof quietly. “Blake?” he asked.
“I am right here, Mr. Swan,” Blake said, from the darkness. “What may I do for you?”
“What’s going on here?” Swan asked. “Winston said that you were investigating earthquakes.”
“That is correct.”
“How do you go about investigating an earthquake?” demanded Swan.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 40
“The earthquake was caused by an artificial power,” said the adventurer. “It looks natural to the casual observer, but closer inspection reveals a regularity that true earthquakes do not possess.”
“So that’s why we’re going to this island?” asked Swan, immediately grasping the picture, if not all the details.
“Yes,” said Blake. “I also expect a bit of trouble. That is why I hired Mr. Morrigan. Hopefully he will be able to protect Professor Nichols from harm.”
“Why bring Nichols at all?” asked Swan.
“He would have tried to come here on his own or with help from Dr. Rayne. I believe it would have ended in disaster.”
“Right, then,” said Swan, “I’ll come along and protect the Professor.”
“This could be dangerous,” said Blake.
“I knew that,” said Swan, grinning. “Anything Winston Rayne is interested in usually is.” Swan descended the ladder and walked to his room. He checked his bag one last time before he turned in.
Blake turned back to his work after Swan had left. He produced a thin card and a black box from his pocket. Mating the two produced a green glow on the face of the box. His eyes scanned the light before he disconnected the machine.
Something was out there on the ocean, as he’d thought. It was something that should not have been here at all.
He replaced his equipment in his pockets before returning to his room. The adventurer lay on his bed for a long time before he slipped into the light trance he called sleep.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 41
The next day the group assembled at the airport. Harrigan had found a small airplane that would suit their needs perfectly. Blake installed his cases in the back of the plane as Harrigan readied for take-off. The ace cleared the airport as smoothly as silk.
“We’re on course for your island, Mr. Blake,” reported Harrigan. He seemed happy to be in the air again.
“Right,” said Blake. “I would appreciate it if you made two passes over it so we can see the lay of the land.”
“No problem,” said Harrigan. “Then we’re going to have to turn around. This baby doesn’t hold as much fuel as Jenny.”
“That will be fine,” said Blake.
The plane glided through the air and flew over the island once. As Harrigan circled to make a second pass, a smoke trail erupted from the island, indicating a missile. The ace did not hesitate as he tried to pull the plane out of the way. Instead of impacting on the main body, the missile ripped the tip of the wing off. The plane began to spin as Harrigan fought the controls. Blake’s hands settled over his and helped him pull on the wheel.
“We’re going to hit,” yelled Tank, pulling on his own control wheel.
The plane smashed into the water.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 42
Blake barely moved as the plane skipped across the water. His hand flicked out, and the windshield flew away without protest. “I will get the others,” he said, as the plane settled on the water and began sinking. “You two go ahead.”
“Right,” said Harrigan, unstrapping his seatbelt. He climbed through the empty frame and set off for the island. Tank followed moments later, grumbling about having to swim to shore.
Blake turned to help his aides. Morrigan and Swan were trying to open the hatch in the side of the plane; it would not budge under their efforts. Twitch made his way over unsteadily and fell against the portal. The whole thing fell into the Pacific.
“You first, chum,” Swan said as he pushed the stoolie out of the sinking plane. He turned to help Nichols from his seat, but the mystery-man was already guiding the professor towards the hatch. Nichols seemed as shaky as Twitch.
“Let’s go, Professor,” Swan said. “We have a little swim to take and then we will be able to dry out.”
Nichols, then Swan, and then Morrigan each jumped into the water and began swimming away from the plane. Blake got one of the waterproof cases, and then followed the others. He had a feeling he would need the contents before things were over and done.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 43
The small group swam for the nearby beach. So far, the guards had not appeared to check their status. That wouldn’t last for long.
Blake hit the beach first, seeming to glide through the water like a dolphin. He placed the case on the beach and vanished into the treeline. He returned in a few minutes as his group made shore. He grabbed the case, and led them away from the sandy stretch. He was pleased there was a minimal amount of talking as the men followed him warily.
He opened the case among the trees. He took out a geiger counter and waved the wand around in the air. For an island that had been hit with an Atomic Bomb, its radiation was not above normal, and the local flora had rebounded unnaturally.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 44
Blake replaced the geiger counter in the case. He handed each of his men a round object resembling a grenade. He handed out tags for them to wear on their clothing.
“What are these?” asked Swan as he placed the card on his shirt pocket.
“They change color in the presence of radiation,” Blake said.
“I thought this place had been bombed,” said Twitch. “It looks normal to me.”
“It is normal as far as the geiger counter is concerned,” said Blake.
“How is that possible?” asked Nichols, aware of the study of radiation effects on the environment.
“The photo Twitch came up with indicated most of the activity was this way,” said Blake, pointing. He pulled a brown utility belt from the case before closing and hiding it among some leafy shrubs.
He led the way silently through the jungle. Twitch followed, shaking slightly. Swan walked beside Nichols alert for trouble. Morrigan came next, drying his pistols with a huge leaf he had pulled from a fern of some kind. He worked the action on the automatics, wishing for a cleaning kit. Harrigan and Tank fell into the rear.
Blake set the pace, moving like some ghost. Swan noticed that animals still made noise until Twitch stepped where Blake had stepped moments before. He shook his head slightly. Nichols was his priority now, not Blake.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 45
The small group trekked through the abundant flora as silently as possible. Suddenly Blake held up a hand for them to halt. He vanished ahead for some minutes.
He melted back into view silently. “There are two guards ahead,” he whispered. “They are alert and armed.” The group nodded. “They are standing in front of what appears to be an entrance to an underground lair.”
A small roar sounded from the mountain at the center of the island. The earth shook underneath the adventurers. “I am going to take a look at the mountain,” Blake said. He vanished again.
As soon as he did, Morrigan started forward. “What are you doing?” Nichols asked.
“I’m going to take a look and see what I can do to help out,” said Morrigan. “You guys stay here, and I will be right back.”
“No,” said Harrigan, checking the pistol he had carried for many years. “We all go together.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 46
Adam Blake moved through the jungle like a big cat. He swiftly climbed up the slope to the mountain. Guards were stationed at the top to keep watch, and he slipped through their security to approach the mouth of the volcano. He pulled out the black box, and inserted the keycard. The green screen lit up. He scanned the readout quickly before replacing the device in his belt.
His hearing alerted him to approaching men. He had been on the slope too long. He started off around the volcano’s rim away from the sentries. A fight was the last thing he wanted at this point. He headed down the slope with his usual blinding speed. By the time the guards arrived at where he was supposed to be, he was already among the trees of the unnatural jungle.
Blake circled back to where he had left his aides to wait for his return. He was dismayed they had vanished from the spot. His keen eyes detected a faint trail of footsteps and he knew they had done something foolish without him.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 47
Blake’s eyes told him the whole tale as he approached the entrance to the underground base.
Morrigan had led the men to the entrance. He had stepped out into the open. The guards had stepped away from the entrance to detain him, and a brief struggle ensued. The guards had been dragged off into the jungle.
He found them trussed up, struggling with the rope that held them in place. He hit both of them hard with a single blow apiece. They would sleep for a while and wake up with terrible headaches later.
Blake stepped over the threshold of the installation, and began to search for his men. Sounds of a struggle drew him forward. A pitched gun battle seemed to be happening down below. It approached him as he moved through the seemingly empty upper levels.
He took cover behind a huge vent shaft. Nichols reached him first. He yanked the Professor to cover beside him. He held a hand up to silence Nichols’s protest. He waited patiently.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 48
Twitch ran up next. He paused when he saw that Nichols was no longer running in front of him. He looked around frantically. A hand waved him to cover behind another vertical pipe. He moved with a smoothness that belied his usual shakiness.
Harrigan and Tank came next. A wave sent them under a water tank of some kind. Swan took cover, firing his pistol behind him. He was waved past the hiding group. He nodded as he emptied his revolver and ran for the door.
Morrigan was the last man out of the depths. Every time he fired, a man dropped. He kept the guards at bay with his marksmanship until he saw a hand wave him back. He ran for the door, blasting away.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 49
Armed guards rushed up to where most of the group was hiding. Blake heard the leader report the escape of his men. As soon as the man was finished, he leaped out among the guards. Flashing fists laid men out with every blow.
The fight was over in seconds.
“Take their clothes,” Blake said as he began stripping one man. A minute later, he wore the olive uniform. His group rushed to change clothes. Now they could blend in for a little while with the men below.
“Report,” Blake said.
“There’s a bunch of pumps that go into the ground down below, like a drill. Whoever’s in charge seems to be digging into the ground for miles. They even seem to have their own machinist shop for parts.”
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 50
“Adam, that drilling is the trigger for the earth tremors,” Nichols said, as he found a pair of boots in his size. “The excavation must go down for miles.”
“They also have more than one drill at work,” said Tank, as he buttoned a stolen shirt. “I saw at least four, and they are bigger than any oil derrick drill I have ever seen.”
“This is the plan,” Blake said calmly. “Harrigan and Tank will secure some means of leaving. I noticed a cove on the side of the island opposite where we crashed. Morrigan, Swan, and Nichols, there is a secondary control center on the other side of the volcano. That is probably where they are shifting the earth after it is drilled out. I want you to shut it down if you can. No unnecessary risks. Come with me, Twitch.”
The group of adventurers dispersed to carry out their missions.
Blake and Twitch tied up the fallen men who were still alive with rope from his utility belt before heading back downstairs. He kept to the shadows as he quietly inspected the premises. The informant stepped where he stepped cautiously. The mystery-man said nothing as the pair went. It was almost as if he knew the layout would be like this before he even got to the island.
He led the way to a wide open command center. Before they entered, he paused. “Do whatever you can to the controls while I distract whoever is in there,” he said. The stoolie nodded.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 51
Hop Harrigan and his mechanic friend, Tinker, cautiously circled the island to get at the cove Blake had casually mentioned. Harrigan wondered how good the mystery-man’s eyes were because he had not even noticed the slight indentation of land when the plane had flown over the island.
Standing up close, Harrigan could see two, no three, camouflaged bunkers surrounding the cove. Short, multiple barrels were aimed out into the ocean.
“Can you tell what kind of armament is set up under those nets?” asked Harrigan.
“It looks like the same kind that blew the wing off the rental,” said Tank. “We’ll have to do something about ‘em before we try to take off.”
“Too bad I left my grenades in my other flight suit,” said Harrigan, smiling.
“Tell me about it,” Tank said as he examined the stolen equipment belt he wore around his waist. “Maybe one of these things could be useful.”
The two men found that they each had several grenades and a block of plastic explosives with a small detonator, which seemed to be some kind of push button affair that neither man had ever seen before.
“Let’s set these so we can go about our business,” said Harrigan.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 52
Cully Morrigan led the way cautiously across the island. Their makeshift disguises had fooled the patrols they had seen on the way. He paused as he took in the operation in front of him. Tons of material was being dumped into the ocean from an outlet overlooking the water.
“What have we here?” Morrigan asked himself.
“Looks like a twin of what we saw at the main facility,” said Nichols. “Should we get closer?”
“We’re going to have to, Professor,” said Swan, “if we are going to try to shut it down.”
“I was afraid of that,” said the academic.
Morrigan eyed the complex. The outlet pipe said something to him. He searched the equipment belt he wore. He took out the explosives he found and weighed them thoughtfully. “I have a plan,” the hitman said as he considered. “Do you guys have any of this plastic stuff?” The other two searched and soon found two similiar blocks with their detonator caps.
“What would happen if we blocked that pipe?” Morrigan asked as he joined the three blocks together, and began to knead it in his hands.
“They might shut down, depending on whether or not the exhaust would clear any obstruction,” said Nichols. “We would need something big to block that.” The exhaust pipe was as tall as a man, and Nichols had no doubt it would flay any man who stood in front of it.
Morrigan walked forward quietly. He climbed up the side of the hill the pipe was sunk in. He stepped on the narrow lip the metal tube projected. He placed the explosive below the exhaust, pressing it against the hill and tube. He set the detonator and leaped away from the blast zone.
The explosive roared its trapped fury.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 53
Adam Blake surveyed his enemy’s control room with intent eyes as he stepped into the room. He felt Twitch slip in behind him and casually walk away towards the control panels.
A small thin man held a microphone to his lips. He gave instructions to the other people under him on the rest of the isle. “Shoot on sight” was the order of the day, it seemed.
Blake stepped forward. It was time for him to cause a distraction for the stool pigeon. He clouted a man in the jaw, causing the man to fly through the air. That attracted the attention of every man in the room.
“Ryder?” shouted the mastermind. “Get him.”
The hired help fell on Blake, bearing him to the floor. He put up a token fight to buy Twitch time at the controls. The shaky man was pushing every button in sight at the main board.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 54
Hop Harrigan crept closer to the first bunker. He decided where he wanted to place his block of explosive and set the detonator cap with a twist of his fingers. He backed away from the armed charge and moved to a safe distance. Tank was doing the same thing on the other side of the three anti-aircraft guns.
The two charges exploded together. Harrigan covered his head as the missile thrower on his side collapsed inside the concrete. The ground shook as the launch mechanism fell over to one side, fouling the middle one. He was glad none of the ordinance had gone up.
The pilot and mechanic raced for the hidden hangar at top speed.
Cully Morrigan surveyed his handiwork with a certain amount of satisfaction. The pipe had been closed and buried from the blast he had set off. Workers had come out to see what was wrong. They seemed stunned by the destruction. Morrigan led the way into the pump station.
“What have you done, Ryder?” asked the thin mastermind. His eyes were on a huge screen where parts of his facility had been attacked.
Blake seemed passive in the grip of the five men he had been fighting as he kept his gaze on his enemy.
“The name is Blake now, Dr. Milo, not Ryder,” he said in his even voice.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 55
Milo’s troubled gaze swept the room. He thought all of his men had nerves of steel. One of them was shaking very much as he leaned over a console.
“Saboteur!” screamed Milo in fury.
Twitch looked up with a “Who, me?” expression on his face. He saw the man was buying it and headed for the door with Flash-like speed.
“Get him,” ordered Milo.
Two of the men chased after the departing Twitch. All eyes were on distraction, so no one noticed Blake slip the grip on his arms until it was too late. His hands swept around and slammed his three opponents together. All three went down in a heap.
“Blast your interference!” screamed Milo, and raised a hand. A glowing disk rested in the palm. He squeezed the disk and a bolt of light erupted at Blake/Ryder.
The mystery-man stepped out of the way, as he stepped forward. He dodged two strikes before he was close enough to grab Milo’s hand. He shook the hand, and the disk came apart from the vibration.
Twitch came back into the room, holding a wrench in his hands. “Those mugs weren’t so bright,” he commented idly.
“What now, chief?” Twitch said, ready to bop the head guy if he tried anything funny.
“I think we should leave,” Blake said with his usual calm. “One of the buttons you pushed started a timed explosion.”
“That’s great,” commented Twitch, flinging the wrench aside and heading for the door.
Blake made sure the consoles were destroyed before he also left the room.
Milo ran to a hidden elevator door. He tried to access it. The door wouldn’t open. He screamed in fury as he reached for an emergency release switch.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 56
Cully Morrigan led the way into the station. His flashing pistols silenced all opposition as the trio made their way to the control room. A rumbling shook the installation as they entered the room.
Nichols examined the controls hastily as the hitman held the room’s occupants at bay. Swan watched the door for anyone who wanted to enter the room.
“If I’m reading this right, there’s a build up in pressure from the exhaust being closed,” said Nichols. “If the engines were kept turning, they would eventually sieze up.”
“We don’t have the time for that, Professor,” said Swan. “Any other ideas?”
“It looks like a self destruct device can be activated if I can find the right combination of numbers.”
“Try that,” said Morrigan. “We’re trapped in here if the rats don’t have anything else to worry about.”
Nichols began trying numbers at random, wincing every time the thing beeped at a wrong combination. He felt himself gasping for air, and knew he was starting to hyper ventilate. He needed to calm down. He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax.
He began to type in dates into the eight number screen. He had always had a prediliction for the past and history. That was the primary reason he had started helping Bruce Wayne with his pursuits into the timestream by hypnosis. He wanted to know what had been lost in the past.
Nichols smiled when the thing chirped assent to his command. The date for the Krakatoa explosion had been the key. A timer started.
“I think we should leave, gentlemen,” he said in triumph.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 57
Hop Harrigan and Tank skirted the approaching patrol coming to inspect the bunkers they had blown up. The anti-aircraft guns were silenced for the duration. The earth shook violently as the two made their way into the secret hangar. They saw various planes, but only one fitted their needs.
Harrigan and Tank quickly did a pre-flight check. The roof of the cavern was shaking badly, and started to fall in around them as they finished and started the engines. A guard began shouting as the plane coasted out of the hangar. Harrigan emptied his pistol at him as he sped out into open water.
The pilot scanned the shore as he passed. The mountain in the center of the island had started to vent ashes into the air. Harrigan knew an eruption could not be far away.
“Where’s everybody?” asked Tank.
“We’ll have to give them time,” said Harrigan.
The plane coasted along as a guard prepared a rocket to shoot at the two unsuspecting aviators. He settled the launch tube on his shoulder and took aim.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 58
A sudden pressure against his ear made the rocketeer wince.
“I’d suggest you put that thing down, if you know what’s good for you,” said a cold voice behind the pressure. The guard engaged the safety on the launcher gently and placed it slowly on the ground.
“If I were you, I would start looking for a way off this rock,” said the owner of the voice. “It’s about to go up in a ball of fire.”
“What my friend means is that we’ve hit the self destruct device at the secondary station,” said one of the other men. “The explosives there should be going up any minute now.”
The guard began running toward the concealed hangar. “I think he has the right idea,” said Nichols with a frown.
“Totally agree, Professor,” said Swan. “I think that is our ride home out there. Shall we?”
Morrigan picked up the rocket tube and examined it. He strapped it on his back when he thought he had it figured out. “Right,” the grinning hitman said. “Let’s blow this joint.”
Swan led the way into the water.
“Here come some of our guys now,” said Tank. “I don’t see Blake or that shaky guy.”
“I’ll swing around,” said Harrigan. “Go ahead and extend the ladder for them.”
Paul Twitchell liked to think he was fast. Not a Jesse Owens, or anything, but fast. He silently admitted to himself that he couldn’t hold a candle to his chief. The man was as fast as a ghost. Twitch felt Blake could have just left him in the dust at any time, but chose not to.
A rumbling shook the ground behind the fleeing pair. Twitch almost paused to look back. A hand pulled on his arm to keep him moving.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Part 59
Explosions rocked the island as the two men ran. Blake never paused in his flight; he knew they couldn’t afford delays. The self destruct devices Milo had decided to use were more powerful than Blake had believed.
The volcano was awakening with a series of thundering coughs, and plumes of smoke. Soon lava would begin running down across the mountain’s side, destroying everything on the place. Blake wanted to be out to sea when that happened. Luckily Milo had placed the hangar for his supply planes on the side of the island away from the flow. If the two of them could reach that hangar, they might be able to get away without any problems.
Blake reached the hangar with Twitch in tow. He noticed the sea plane drifting out on the sea when he reached the small beach area. Keen eyes spotted Hop Harrigan at the wheel.
“Start swimming,” said the mystery-man, wading into the warming water. “We have to get out of here as soon as possible.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” said Twitchell. He jumped into the water and began paddling for the plane.
A folding ladder descended from the side of the plane. Cully Morrigan and Alec Swan stood in the doorway, ready to help their comrades aboard.
A roar from the volcano lit everything in a dazzling red for a brief second as Blake lifted Twitch out of the water and handed him to the others. One pull at the bottom of the rungs, and Blake was standing on the other side of the hatch.
Harrigan started his take-off taxi as the island shook behind them. The top of the volcano came apart in a brilliant, flaming spear. Waves began to push the back of the plane, as Harrigan fought with the wheel. Then they were in the air, racing away from the sinking mountain.
BLAKE’S SEVEN: Epilogue
The seven gathered in Blake’s block of buildings in Gotham a week later.
“It appears that everything has returned to normal with Milo’s death,” said Blake. “Stopping his digging has halted the unnatural seismic activity.”
“The papers don’t know what happened in the Pacific,” said Twitch. “We could make a mint selling the story.”
“No!” chorused the others.
“It was just an idea,” said the stool pigeon.
“Maybe one day,” said Blake, “but not today, or tomorrow, or the next. I still have things to look into, and publicity would make that harder than necessary.”
“You still paying good?” asked Cully.
Blake nodded.
“Then you count all of us in,” said Hop Harrigan, smiling.
