The Flesh Of The Orchid Part 19

Magarth stepped past him to the telephone.

"We'll see what the Sheriff has to say," he returned, picked up the receiver. He stood for a moment with the receiver to his ear, then he frowned. "The line seems dead," he said, rattled the signal-bar, waited a moment or so, then hung up thoughtfully. "Now, I wonder ? . ."

"Go on, say it," Staum sneered. "You think the Sullivans have cut the line."

"It's likely," Magarth returned, aware of a sudden tension gripping his nerves. "I want a gun, Staum," he went on abruptly. "If you're not going to do your job, I'll have to do it for you."

"Who said I wasn't going to do my job?" Staum said, flaring up. "You watch what you're saying; and you don't get a gun from me. You ain't got a permit.

Magarth controlled his rising temper.

"This bickering won't get us anywhere," he said. "Miss Banning saw two men out in the plantation just now. They scared her. Maybe they're not the Sullivans, but at least we can go out there and see who they are."

"Why didn't you say so before?" Staum returned, led the way to the front door. "If there're guys snooping about out there I'll fix 'em." He added after a pause, "Think the telephone fine's cut?"

"Looks like it," Magarth said, worried. He followed Staum on to the terrace.

The lone guard, Mason by name, was lolling against the wall, a cigarette in his mouth, his gun held loosely in the crook of his arm.

"Hi, George," he called when he saw Staum. "When do I get my supper?"

"You'll have it when I say so," Staum growled. "Seen anyone about?"

"You mean the Sullivans?" Mason asked. "Haw! Haw! No, I guess the Sullivans ain't called just yet."

"The lady says she saw two men out in the plantation," Staum went on. "You been keeping your eyes peeled?"

"You bet," the guard returned. "Ain't seen a thing. Maybe the lady was dreaming."

"Yeah, I guess she was," Staum returned bitterly, looked at Magarth. "Satisfied?"

"I'm not," Magarth said. "This fella's half asleep. I tell you two guys were seen out there." He tapped Mason on his chest. "Keep your eyes open, bud, you're fooling with dynamite."

"He thinks the Sullivans are going to call," Staum explained.

"That's terrible," Mason grinned. "I hope they keep off until I've had my supper."

With a hopeless shrug Magarth turned away. Staum followed him.

"Where's the other guard?" Magarth asked.

"Round the back. Want to see him too?"

"I certainly do," Magarth returned. He was feeling a little scared now. If Staum refused to believe that trouble was brewing, anything might happen.

And something was happening right at that moment at the back of the house. It happened so quickly and silently that Magarth and Staum suspected nothing as they moved along in the darkness.

The Sullivans had reached the terrace. Max carried a long thin steel rod at the end of which hung a noose of piano wire. For a moment they watched the unsuspecting man who was guarding the rear of the building. He was seated on the bal.u.s.trade of the terrace, his legs dangling, his gun lying by his side. He hummed to himself, and every now and then he looked impatiently at his luminous watch. He too wanted his supper.

Max touched Frank's arm. Both men knew exactly what to do. Frank remained still: he held his heavy .45 gun loosely in his hand while Max crept forward, his rubber-soled shoes making sound on the white-paved terrace. He held the steel rod like a man carrying a flag in a procession. When he was within a few yards of the guard he stopped.

The noose of piano wire rose in the air, began a silent descent until it was a foot or so above the head of the guard. Max fiddled with the slack of the wire which he held in his hand, adjusting the noose so that it would pa.s.s over the wide brim of the guard's hat. Then, with a quick movement like a snake striking, Max swished the noose down and dragged the slack. At the same moment Frank, moving like a silent, vicious shadow, sprang forward, s.n.a.t.c.hed up the guard's rifle.

The guard, caught round the throat by the strangling wire, could make no sound, and was dragged over backwards, his legs thrashing, his fingers frantically trying to find a purchase on the wire that was cutting into the soft skin of his throat. He struggled for barely ten seconds before his body went limp and blood ran out of his mouth.

Max loosened the noose while Frank eased the wire from the strangled man's throat. Without wasting a moment, Max collapsed the rod, which telescoped into a length of about two feet, and joined Frank in carrying the guard into the dark garden.

A moment or so later Magarth and Staum turned the corner and walked along the back terrace.

"I don't see him around," Magarth said abruptly. "I suppose he's gone to bed or something."

"He's around somewhere," Staum snapped. "He wouldn't leave his post unless I told him." Raising his voice, he bawled: "Hey! O'Brien! I want you."

The two men waited in the darkness. No sound nor movement reached them, and while they waited the Sullivans slipped like shadows to the front of the house, crept towards Mason, who had laid down his rifle to light another cigarette.

"Some guard," Magarth said angrily. "I'll raise h.e.l.l about this when I see the Sheriff.

Staum looked worried.

"He should be here," he muttered, walked to the end of the terrace, bawled again, "O'Brien!"

"I guess we'll find him in the kitchen," Magarth said bitterly. He turned sharply, retraced his steps.

The Sullivans had scarcely time to carry Mason away. They had no time to collect his rifle nor his hat, which had fallen off in his death struggle.

"Now Mason's scrammed," Magarth said, not seeing the glow of a cigarette. "You there, guard?" he called, raising his voice.

Staum joined him.

"What are you playing at?" he snarled. "Trying to make out Mason's quit his job?"

"It looks like it," Magarth said, and felt the hair on the nape of his neck bristle. "I don't see him around."

Staum fetched out a powerful flashlight, shot the white beam along the terrace.

The two men stood transfixed as they saw the hat and rifle lying on the white flagstones.

"Mason!" Staum shouted, took a step forward. There was a sudden off-key note in his voice.

"Put that light out," Magarth said, s.n.a.t.c.hing up Mason's rifle. "Come on; inside, quick!"

Staum didn't need any urging. Neither of them said anything until Magarth had closed and barred the front door.

"What's happened to them?" Staum asked, shaken.

"I told you the Sullivans were here-do you want more proof?" Magarth said, pushed past the gaping Deputy, ran to the kitchen, which was deserted. He locked and bolted the back door, returned to the hall. "You stay here and keep your eyes peeled," he said to Staum. "I'm going upstairs. They're after Larson, but they're not going to get him. You're the first line of defence. See they don't get you," and he left Staum, who was now looking scared, and ran up the stairs.

Veda met him on the landing.

"Is it all right?" she asked, then clutched his arm when she saw the expression in his eyes. "What's happened?"

"Plenty," he said, keeping his voice low. "They're out there all right, and they've got the two guards. That leaves Staum and me, you, Carol and the nurse. They've cut the telephone wires, so we're sealed off unless-"

"I'll go," Veda said promptly. "I could get across the plantation and get the overseer and his men up here."

Magarth slipped his arm round her.

"That's fine," he said, "but not yet. We can't afford to take chances. If they get you, we're sunk. We'd best wait until they try to get into the house, then you slip out the back way."

"It may be too late then," Veda said. "It'll take me ten minutes at least to get across the plantation. I'd better go now."

"You're not going until I know where they are," Magarth said firmly. "Where's Carol?"

"She's with Steve."

"All right; we'll keep near Steve. They're after him, and it'll be to his room they'll come if they get into the house."

"You ain't leaving me down here alone, are you?" Staum called up plaintively from the foot of the stairs.

"Why not?" Magarth returned. "The Sullivans are just a bogey you frighten children with-remember? You're not a child, are you?" He took Veda's arm and together they walked quickly down the pa.s.sage to Steve's room.

They found Carol, looking lovely in one of Veda's simple linen dresses, seated by Steve's side. Nurse Davies, a tail, grey-haired woman, was sewing near the window.

Carol looked up quickly as Magarth and Veda came in, and made a quick sign to them not to say anything.

Steve, looking white and drawn, opened his eyes as Magarth came quietly to his side.

"h.e.l.lo, you big, lazy dope," Magarth said, smiling. "Got your girl now, have you?"

Steve nodded.

"Thanks to you, Phil," he said, reached out for Carol's hand. "Just to see her makes me feel good."

"Mr. Larson shouldn't talk," Nurse Davies said, shaking her head at Magarth. "He's still very weak."

"Sure," Magarth said, stepped back, signed to Carol.

"I'll be back in a moment," she said to Steve, patted his hand, joined Magarth and Veda in the pa.s.sage.

"Look, kid," Magarth said quickly, "you were right. They're out there and they've got the two guards. You stay with Steve. I'll stick right here outside the door. Staum's watching the stairs. They can't reach him except up the stairs, so lock yourself in and don't get scared. They're not going to get him."

Carol's face paled, but her eyes were determined.

"No," she said. "They're not going to get him."

"Good kid," Magarth said. "You get back to Steve and leave this to me." He pushed her gently back into Steve's room, turned to Veda. "That's about all we can do," he went on. "The next move is up to them."

"I'm going, Phil," Veda said. "I know every inch of the way in the dark. It's madness to wait for them to make the first move. We must get help."

"Maybe I'd better go," Magarth said, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't like the idea of you going out there "

"I'm going, so stop arguing. Come and see me off."

The Sullivans were waiting for just such a move. Frank stood in the shadows near the back door; Max leaned against the wall a foot or so from the front door. They were in no hurry. They knew that the plantation workers had their living quarters on the other side of the plantation, and the only way Magarth could raise the alarm and get help was to send someone to make the journey.

"We'll try the back way," Magarth said, "but I'm going out first to see if the coast's clear. Then run, Veda, run like h.e.l.l."

"I'll run," she said, going with him down the stairs.

"Miss Banning's going for help," Magarth said to Staum, who was backed up against the wall, his fat face glistening with sweat. "You stick where you are. I'll be back in a moment."

"Think she'll make it?" Staum asked.

"She'll make it," Magarth returned, but he wasn't any too confident.

Together Veda and he went into the kitchen. Magarth didn't turn on the light, and they groped their way across the dark room to the window.

"Keep out of sight," Magarth whispered, and he peered through the gla.s.s, trying to see any movement on the dark terrace. He stood there for several minutes, but saw nothing to alarm him.

Frank, peering through the pillars of the bal.u.s.trade, saw Magarth looking through the window, and he grinned, ducked down, waited.

Magarth opened the back door, stepped on to the terrace, looked up and down. He crossed to the bal.u.s.trade, his nerves jumpy, and stood within a couple of feet of the invisible Frank. Satisfied that nothing stirred, he returned, beckoned to Veda.

"It's all right," he whispered, his lips close to her ear. "I guess they're round the front. Run, kid, and try not to make a noise." He kissed her suddenly, held her for a moment, then watched her move swiftly and silently down the steps. The darkness swallowed her up.

The big house was quiet. The nurse had left Carol to watch Steve and had gone to her room next door.

Magarth sat on the top of the stairs, his rifle across his knees. Staum sat on the bottom stair. The hall, stairs and landings were ablaze with light. The hands of the big hall clock pointed to ten minutes past eleven. Veda had been gone now a quarter of an hour. In a few more minutes, Magarth thought hopefully, help would be with them, then they could go out into the darkness and hunt the Sullivans instead of sitting here waiting for their attack.

In the bedroom Steve opened his eyes. He had been sleeping, and now, refreshed, he smiled at Carol, reached for her hand.

"I've been thinking so much about you," he said. "All the time I've been ill you've never been far from my thoughts. You know I love you, don't you, Carol ? I haven't much to offer you . . . there's the farm. It's nice up there, and in a while-"

"I don't think you should talk," Carol interrupted him, leaned forward to kiss him. "You must rest, darling. I want you to get well quickly."

"I'm all right," Steve said firmly. "I'm feeling much stronger. I want to talk. We've got to find out who you are, Carol. We've got to find out why you were in that truck . . . where you were going. . . ."

A feeling of fear ran through Carol.

"Oh, no," she said. "Please don't talk about that. I'm afraid . . . I'm afraid of finding out about myself. That woman said I was mad." She slipped from her chair, put her arms round his neck, held his head against her breast. "Do you think I'm mad? Is that why I don't know who I am? It frightens me so. You see if . . . I couldn't marry you, Steve . . . ."

"Of course you're not mad," he returned. "You've had a bad crack on your head. It's something that can be put right, I'm sure of it, then your memory will come back. You mustn't worry about it, Carol."

Holding him to her, Carol thought of the Sullivans waiting out in the dark, and she shivered.

"What's frightening you, kid?" Steve asked. "It's all going to be all right. As soon as I get well we're going to have a swell time . . . just you and me. I've got it all doped out; that's all I've been thinking about while I've waited for you."