Act Three, Part Two
Ecstasy La Joie opened a ground floor window, peeked at the empty office within, then slipped inside. Soundlessly she crossed to the door and reached for the knob.
The door opened in her face even as a voice beyond it called, "Schwimmer, where are you, you imbecile? I need you to…" The voice stopped abruptly, and for a second the little thief stared, mouth agape, at the man framed in the doorway. Then…
"You!" The cry sprang from both mouths. Dropping back half a step, the lithesome Miss La Joie fired a kick into the chin of the man before her.
He hit the floor bellowing out a flood of Teutonic oaths. Ecstasy kicked him once more in the side of the head for good measure, then fled through the doorway and out of sight.
Seething with anger, the victim of her fancy footwork yanked out a handkerchief and pressed it to his left ear. "Again with the kicking!" he growled. "Again with the ear! Schwimmer! Schwimmer! Blast him, where is that idiot? Schwimmer, that diabolische gir…!" Herr Vogel clamped his mouth shut in mid-word, then muttered to himself, "No! No, we must capture her, Schwimmer and I, before the baron can learn that she is..."
At just that moment from somewhere upstairs came the unmistakable sound of gunfire. His Teutonic fury kindled anew, the Rumormeister snarled, "Now what?" and lurched from the office.
…
"Herr Vogel!"
Artie whirled as someone behind him called out that name. For a heart-stopping second he drew a blank, and then…
"Ah, Schwimmer! Here you are, my man. What is it?"
"Mein Herr, I have the reports you requested." Schwimmer thrust a sheaf of papers into Artie's hand.
Reports? Artie peered at them, wondering what the paperwork was all about. And even as he read, Schwimmer added, "As you can see, our men who were keeping watch on Fräulein La Joie's hotel room report no sign of the young woman. In addition our other men scattered throughout the city have found no trace of her either. She seems to have…"
From elsewhere on the ground floor, an all-too-familiar voice yelled out Schwimmer's name, followed moments later by the sound of gunfire blasting from somewhere above them.
Schwimmer, eyes round as saucers, stared in the direction of the first sound, then the second, then back at the man before him. "But, but… that was Herr Vogel's voice! I swear to it! How could he call me from there when you are…" He blinked. "Your ear! You're not Herr Vogel at all. Impostor!" Schwimmer's hand darted for his sidearm.
With no idea what was wrong with his ear, Artie hollered, "Here!" and slammed the sheaf of papers full into Schwimmer's midsection. At the same moment he yanked out the little surprise that had been in and out of his pocket all day long and flung it to the floor at Schwimmer's feet.
WHUMP! The smoke bomb burst open, spewing out a cloud of saffron gas. As Schwimmer choked and fell to the floor unconscious, Artie, holding a handkerchief over his nose, made a quick choice as to which sound to investigate and rushed from the scene.
…
Oh, that infernal Herr Vogel just had to raise a stink, didn't he? And all Ecstasy had wanted was to make a private transaction with Baron Hinterstoisser without drawing the Rumormeister's attention! Well, the fat was in the fire now! The little thief raced headlong down a corridor and around a corner.
WHUMP! And ran smack into…
"Herr Vogel!" Shocked but determined, she dropped back a step and let yet another kick fly.
"Ow!" Her latest victim hit the floor, and she aimed another boot to his left ear.
A hand grabbed her ankle, aborting the kick. She spun like a ballerina to face whoever was clutching her ankle. "You!"
Jim West smiled, still keeping a firm grasp on her leg. "Enemies forever," he said.
"What are you doing here? Let go of me!"
"We've been looking for you, Ecstasy. Me and ah…" He glanced at the man who sat on the floor beside them, slowly working his aching jaw. "Artie Gordon," Jim finished.
"Artie Gordon!" The kicked man scrambled to his feet and gaped at Jim. "Say, since when do you ever call me that, huh? Artie by itself, yes, or else the full name Artemus Gordon, but no one ever calls me 'Artie Gordon,' not since I was a kid! Of all people, James my boy, you should know that!"
Jim grinned. "Exactly. I know it, but Herr Vogel didn't."
"Herr Vo… Hey, that's right, he's back! I'd better get out of this disguise." He reached up to yank off his fake goatee, but Jim forestalled him.
"Not yet, Artie. We might still need to fool some people on our way out."
"On your way…" Ecstasy cut in. "Now, wait a minute. You just let go of me this instant! I have business here in the embassy, and you have nothing to do with it!"
"Give it up, Ecstasy," said Jim. "We know you have the Florentine Phoenix."
"We do?" exclaimed Artie. "Oh, so that's why Schwimmer…" Pulling himself up straight, Artie said confidently, "Right, we do! So just hand it over, little lady." He held out a hand.
"Hand over what?" came a Teutonic voice as around the corner behind them poured a swarm of green-clad guards. And right in the midst of them was Baron Hinterstoisser himself.
…
He had waited long enough, thought the little man in the greatcoat. Where could the larcenous Miss La Joie be? Had she perhaps slipped out of the embassy grounds by some other point of egress while he was watching this side? With a frown, Mr Memphis clambered to his feet, peeked over the wall on tiptoes, then set off skulking toward the back gate, castigating himself for having let the wily young woman out of his sight in the first place.
…
"Well, well! Here we have Herr West once more!" Baron Hinterstoisser gloated. "And another intruder as well. Good work, Vogel! But why, ah… why is Herr West holding this young man by the ankle, hmm?"
"I'm not a youn…" Ecstasy blurted, only to find Jim's grip on her had shifted in a heartbeat from her ankle to her forearm. "Run!" he hissed, and took off, dragging her behind him.
"Halt!" cried Artie. He planted himself in the middle of the hall — conveniently blocking the baron and guards behind him — as he drew his own sidearm, took careful aim, and fired.
He missed, of course, as Jim and the girl disappeared round the corner.
"After them!" bellowed the baron. "And when you have captured them, bring them to my office and send word to me. I shall be in my chambers!" Angrily he spun on his heel and marched away, even as his guards streamed past him in pursuit of the fugitives.
With the supposed Vogel leading their way.
…
Little Mr Memphis crept quietly towards the back gate. Stealthily he hazarded another peek over the wall and spotted a lone guardsman standing just within the gate. From his pocket Memphis drew forth his knife and weighed it in his hand, then shook his head. No, he did not want to throw it and leave himself weaponless. Hmm…
Moments later a small sound from somewhere within the embassy grounds caught the guard's attention and he turned, drawing his revolver. The next moment a good-sized rock crashed down on his head and sent him sprawling, his gun flying from his hand.
Memphis grinned as he quickly closed the gate again. Why throw a knife when a pebble would do just as well? Swiftly he went to one knee to check the guard. Excellent, the man was out cold. Memphis scuttled a few feet away and bent down once more, this time scooping something up off the ground and storing it in his overcoat pocket. Ah, luck was with him! Not only had he not thrown away his sole weapon, he had now gained another and was doubly armed!
Memphis hurried across the embassy lawn to the building's back door, wondering at the noises he could hear from within. It sounded like a small army on the run! And… and was that a shot?
…
"Let go of me!" cried Ecstasy La Joie.
"Not on your life," Jim replied. On he ran, hauling her round one corner, then another, then…
He stopped so suddenly she smacked into his back. There in the corridor ahead of them was a familiar figure holding a handkerchief to his left ear.
For a long second the three stood looking at each other as the sounds of pursuit grew louder. Then the man in the green uniform said, "Quick, Jim! This way!" He waved them towards a tall mirror hanging on the wall, which he then swung out on hinges to reveal a narrow passageway beyond it leading off into darkness.
Jim eyed the clandestine nook, then smiled broadly. "Thanks, Artie! I know I can always count on you!" He gripped the girl's arm and steered her towards the opening.
Ecstasy gaped at him. "But, but Jim! That can't possibly be…"
"…our way out of this hall before the men after us can catch us? Sure it can!" He stepped through the opening, pulling her with him.
"I don't mean that! I mean if Mr Gordon was just behind us, then this man has to be…"
"…absolutely full of surprises? Yep, that's Artie Gordon for you!" Jim smiled at their rescuer and squeezed Ecstasy's arm.
"Artie Gor… Oh!" This time when Jim started off into the darkness, the girl came along with no further argument.
Quickly Artie — if it was Artie — stepped into the passage and shut the mirror behind them, just as Vogel — if it was Vogel — along with the guards came thundering round the corner and raced on past the mirror.
