Chapter XV
TERROR STRIKES
DANIEL and Harry were sitting in the family room, sipping at the warm coffee Jessie had made. The two men were catching up on the years that had pasted since their last meeting, each leaving out one important detail of their lives, how they became agents of the Shadow.
"I'm sorry to hear about your girlfriend." Daniel chuckled, "I guess girls are like that."
"Hey! I heard that!" Jessie called from the kitchen.
Daniel grinned as the two laughed.
"Are you sure you don't need any help, Jessie?" Vincent asked.
"No." She said from the doorway. "I'm all done." She was drying her hands with a hand towel. "Besides, you two need to catch up." She winked and placed the towel on the little rack beside the door. "I'll be in my room, if you two need me."
Daniel looked at his watch. "We won't be up for much longer. Goodnight, Jessie."
Harry nodded. "Goodnight. I'll see myself out when we're finished." He smiled.
"Okay." Jessie smiled back and headed down the hallway to her room.
Daniel finished the coffee in his cup and set it down on the table. "So, how have you been keepin' busy these past years?"
Harry shrugged. "Little odd jobs here and there."
"Must be good pay."
Vincent nodded. "Nice ring." He said, idly, while fingering with his.
"Thanks. A…uh…friend gave it to me." He glanced down at Harry's hand. "I see you've got one too."
"Yeah." The feeling in the room suddenly got tense.
Two distinct gunshots and a scream brought them to their feet.
"That was from Jessie's room." Daniel said, panic edging into his voice.
They ran down to her room only to find the door locked. Daniel pounded on the door. "Jessie! Jessie! Open the door!"
Another scream.
Vincent pushed Daniel to one side and began to throw himself against the door. Daniel prevented him from trying a third time and they both ran up, finally knocking the door open.
The room was dark. Vincent found the switch and the room flooded with light. The wind rustled the curtains by the window. Daniel rushed over to the window. Whoever was in there was gone, probably scared off when they started breaking down the door. His eyes scanned the dark alley, seeing no one.
"Daniel." It was a harsh whisper. Daniel whirled around to face the room. Harry was on his haunches on the opposite side of the bed, which occupied the middle of the room. Movement in the corner of the room caught his eye. Daniel grabbed the small revolver from his pocket and aimed it in the direction of the movement. "Stop right there." He ordered.
The figure stepped into the light. Daniel immediately dropped the gun. The figure was clad in black, wearing a slouch hat. Harry looked up when he heard the clatter of the gun dropping to the floor and gawked at what he saw. Daniel was standing face to face with The Shadow!
Daniel looked down at the ground and The Shadow moved toward Vincent. Daniel followed. He looked over Harry's shoulder and felt the air leave him.
Jessie was lying prostrate on the floor, a gunshot wound in her upper arm. A welt was starting to form on the side of her head.
"Put her on the bed." Came the order.
They obeyed. The Shadow ripped the bloodied sleeve off Jessie's nightgown.
"She has a some gauze in the kitchen. Above the stove." Harry replied, calmly. Daniel nodded and took off. He returned shortly with gauze and a small bottle of alcohol that he also found above the stove. He handed them to the black clad avenger.
He worked steadily and soon her arm was bandaged. He turned to the two agents. "No need to report to Fellows. You are to remain here, further orders will be delivered here." They both nodded and The Shadow left.
Vincent looked over at Daniel. "I was right."
"Right about what?"
"You're an agent of The Shadow."
TERROR STRIKES
DANIEL and Harry were sitting in the family room, sipping at the warm coffee Jessie had made. The two men were catching up on the years that had pasted since their last meeting, each leaving out one important detail of their lives, how they became agents of the Shadow.
"I'm sorry to hear about your girlfriend." Daniel chuckled, "I guess girls are like that."
"Hey! I heard that!" Jessie called from the kitchen.
Daniel grinned as the two laughed.
"Are you sure you don't need any help, Jessie?" Vincent asked.
"No." She said from the doorway. "I'm all done." She was drying her hands with a hand towel. "Besides, you two need to catch up." She winked and placed the towel on the little rack beside the door. "I'll be in my room, if you two need me."
Daniel looked at his watch. "We won't be up for much longer. Goodnight, Jessie."
Harry nodded. "Goodnight. I'll see myself out when we're finished." He smiled.
"Okay." Jessie smiled back and headed down the hallway to her room.
Daniel finished the coffee in his cup and set it down on the table. "So, how have you been keepin' busy these past years?"
Harry shrugged. "Little odd jobs here and there."
"Must be good pay."
Vincent nodded. "Nice ring." He said, idly, while fingering with his.
"Thanks. A…uh…friend gave it to me." He glanced down at Harry's hand. "I see you've got one too."
"Yeah." The feeling in the room suddenly got tense.
Two distinct gunshots and a scream brought them to their feet.
"That was from Jessie's room." Daniel said, panic edging into his voice.
They ran down to her room only to find the door locked. Daniel pounded on the door. "Jessie! Jessie! Open the door!"
Another scream.
Vincent pushed Daniel to one side and began to throw himself against the door. Daniel prevented him from trying a third time and they both ran up, finally knocking the door open.
The room was dark. Vincent found the switch and the room flooded with light. The wind rustled the curtains by the window. Daniel rushed over to the window. Whoever was in there was gone, probably scared off when they started breaking down the door. His eyes scanned the dark alley, seeing no one.
"Daniel." It was a harsh whisper. Daniel whirled around to face the room. Harry was on his haunches on the opposite side of the bed, which occupied the middle of the room. Movement in the corner of the room caught his eye. Daniel grabbed the small revolver from his pocket and aimed it in the direction of the movement. "Stop right there." He ordered.
The figure stepped into the light. Daniel immediately dropped the gun. The figure was clad in black, wearing a slouch hat. Harry looked up when he heard the clatter of the gun dropping to the floor and gawked at what he saw. Daniel was standing face to face with The Shadow!
Daniel looked down at the ground and The Shadow moved toward Vincent. Daniel followed. He looked over Harry's shoulder and felt the air leave him.
Jessie was lying prostrate on the floor, a gunshot wound in her upper arm. A welt was starting to form on the side of her head.
"Put her on the bed." Came the order.
They obeyed. The Shadow ripped the bloodied sleeve off Jessie's nightgown.
"She has a some gauze in the kitchen. Above the stove." Harry replied, calmly. Daniel nodded and took off. He returned shortly with gauze and a small bottle of alcohol that he also found above the stove. He handed them to the black clad avenger.
He worked steadily and soon her arm was bandaged. He turned to the two agents. "No need to report to Fellows. You are to remain here, further orders will be delivered here." They both nodded and The Shadow left.
Vincent looked over at Daniel. "I was right."
"Right about what?"
"You're an agent of The Shadow."