In the Dungeon
John Steed stood in the same spot for what seemed an interminable time. He was stunned that he had been conquered and even more astounded that Emma had accepted the defeat so elegantly. He shook his head from his perturbed thoughts and quietly sneaked down the path after Miss Knight.
In ten minutes he head reached the infamous dungeon. He arrived just in time to hear a gunshot followed by the sound of someone falling to the floor. Had Emma just been murdered? Steed ran as quickly as he could to the door, but as he reached the entrance Cunningham came outside with a dead man. Steed ducked behind the building just at that exact moment, saving him from being discovered. As Cunningham hurriedly buried the body, Steed slipped into the dungeon.
When his eyes had grown accustomed to the brightness, he perceived Dr. Keel and Miss Knight each in a stone cell. On a crude table was the gun that had killed all of the businessmen. Steed tried to advance toward his friends but tripped on the motionless body of Mr. Haley. "There seems to be an epidemic going around," he commented dryly, referring to all the dead men he had just observed.
"Steed, Mr. Cunningham is coming back!" warned Emma in a drained voice.
Steed whirled around, grabbed the pistol on the table, and aimed it at the entrance. When Mr. Cunningham stepped into view he was confronted by his own gun being held by an angry Steed! He cried out in alarm as a bullet slammed into his chest. Cunningham slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Emma's voice shattered the unusual quiet that had settled over the building. "What took you so long to get here?" she joked.
John Steed merely smiled grimly as an answer. He set the weapon down before he hurried over to the two cells. "Who were those two people?"
"One of them was Mr. Haley, and the other was his vice-president," David explained.
Satisfied at that answer, Steed enquired, "Are there any keys to unlock these gates?"
"I believe Mr. Putnam has them on his person," Keel replied.
"Well, we don't have time to return to Putnam and steal them." Steed glanced about himself before asking, "Do either of you have a pin of any kind?"
"I have a tiepin that might work," David offered as he removed the item from his dark blue tie.
Steed eagerly grabbed it through the bars and began working on Emma's jail cell. As he worked, Dr. Keel informed him of the diabolical plan of Oliver Putnam. "Haley, Carton, Miss Knight, etcetera were all the head of something. Most of the men were the bosses, while Miss Knight was the chairman of the board and managing director. At least one of their colleagues did not appreciate the fact that these men-and woman-had a higher station and more control over the business. They called on Putnam to dispose of the leaders so they could gain control of the companies.
"However, Mr. Putnam duped them all by making the terms so specific, that if anything should happen to the new presidents, Mr. Putnam would gain control of the corporations. Consequently, when Putnam killed Mr. Carton for a Mr. Paine-"
"Mr. Putnam also bumped off Paine," Steed finished thoughtfully. "So maybe Robinson was correct when he said that Putnam's Plastics was trying to make an indestructible ship." He managed to unlock Emma's door, so he went on to his friend's.
Dr. Keel continued, "And you were absolutely accurate when you told me about the evil receptionist. She's the one who got me kidnapped and imprisoned." He snapped his finger as he added, "I also heard her talking on the phone to a man named Lanier, if that is important."
Emma and John exchanged a knowing glance at this name. "You don't suppose Mr. Lanier wants you dead, Miss Knight?" Steed demanded agitatedly. He watched as Emma Knight stepped out of her confinement with an audible sigh of relief.
"No of course not; he was interested in my welfare! When we received that advertisement for Millbury Castle, Nancy begged me to take a holiday, and Lanier-" Emma paused as the truth sunk in her brain, "told . . . me . . . to take TWO WEEKS OFF!" She scowled fiercely at the thought of any man wanting her to be dead, especially a person who had been treating her like a daughter. She realised too late that it had all been a clever ruse to put her at ease when she should have been the most alerted.
"Now you know that I was definitely lying when I claimed Mr. Lanier had sent me to protect you," Steed joshed in an attempt to alleviate the gravity of the situation.
Miss Knight rubbed her forehead as she detected the first symptoms of an aggravating headache. She realised her face was covered with dirt from the road. She was about to make a superficial remark about how filthy she was when Mr. Lanier entered the building.
"Are you one of Mr. Putnam's men?" Lanier asked Steed.
Steed slipped the pin onto his own necktie before twirling around to face the wicked man. "Yes, my name is John Steed."
"I see that you've released Miss Knight so I can kill her. That was very thoughtful of you." Mr. Lanier picked up the gun that Steed had carelessly left on the table.
"At the price you've paid for this operation, we strive to be as thoughtful as achievable," Steed replied smartly.
"I just have one question: who is that man." Mr. Lanier pointed to the ground where Cunningham lay, his face a colour of blue.
Steed, still a rather inexperienced spy, hesitated at this inquisition. It was in this brief duration that the more experienced Lanier discovered that John Steed was lying. "All right, I'm going to have the pleasure of disposing of all three of you," Lanier declared.
Keel protested animatedly, "What have I done besides being a prisoner to a lot of insane men?"
"I can't have you telling the authorities about my double murder," Lanier promptly replied.
Emma determined to stall time by asking, "Why did you decide to kill me?"
"You were a woman with a high position-imagine a twenty-one-year-old woman!"
"I'll be twenty-two in a matter of days, Mr. Lanier," Emma countered.
"I wish you a happy birthday, my dear," Steed exclaimed. Miss Knight thanked him politely as if she didn't care that Mr. Lanier was pointing a dangerous weapon at her. Steed admired her courage during this difficult circumstance; she certainly was a talented amateur agent!
"You were always voting against of my plans, and the other board members would naturally follow you. After all, you were Sir John's daughter, so you must know what you're doing!" Lanier was venting his emotions, something he should have done months ago before he had taken desperate measures. "Now I will be in charge, now I will get my bills across, now you won't be able to stop me!"
Emma Knight mulled over the information she had learned from Dr. Keel. "Putnam has tricked you by claiming you'll gain control of the company, when in reality he is going to kill you as well! He wants to build a ship of massive destruction that is unbreakable! He doesn't care about you and your personal problems! I know you despise the very ground I walk on, but you must believe me."
"You're just trying to escape from my clutches," Lanier snorted in disbelief. "Do you have a last request before I kill you?"
"Yes, I'd like to have a cigarette if I may," Steed said. After Lanier nodded his consent, he pulled out a carton of cigarettes and a box of matches from his coat pocket. He nodded his head so quickly that it was almost imperceptible to the eye, but Dr. Keel noticed it.
With all the anxiety in his voice as he could muster, the doctor whispered audibly, "No, don't use those cigarettes, or you might blow us all to smithereens!"
"At least Mr. Lanier will be dead as well," Steed hissed loudly in return. He lit the cigarette with the polished air he so rightly possessed.*
Miss Knight had the vaguest suspicion that this was all a ploy to weaken Lanier's resistance. Using her own acting ability she feigned tears of horror and fear. "Either way you look at it, we're going to lose this game of espionage!"
"Are you trying to tell me that this man is a spy?" demanded Lanier disbelievingly.
"If you don't believe me, just look at the writing on my cigarette box." Steed extended his arm to show off the ludicrous jumble of letters printed on the carton. "It reads, 'highly explosive cigarettes; use at your own risk.' That message certainly is conclusive proof that I am an agent, isn't it Mr. Lanier?"
The elderly businessman's confidence began to waver as he stared at the flickering flame of Steed's lit cigarette. "Why hasn't it exploded yet, Mr. Steed?"
"These cigarettes only explode on contact, meaning I have to throw it against something for it to work." Steed flicked ashes from the cigarette butt while he waited for the crooked businessman's next move.
Lanier shakily pointed the gun at the secret agent as he ordered, "You had better drop that weapon right now, or I will blow your brains out."
"Did you have to use such graphic language?" John Steed admonished the older man. Quickly he added, "If you REALLY want me to drop this cigarette then I will." With that last remark, he flung the object high into the air.
Lanier shrieked in alarm as the "explosive" landed several feet from him. He covered his ears in anticipation of the blast, but none came. He realised he had been duped, but before he could react, Steed was upon him, punching him in the jaw repeated times with one hand. Steed's free fist grabbed the weapon from the gnarled hand of his assailant and tossed it into oblivion.
Emma Knight joined the brawl by chopping the nape of her co-worker's neck. As Lanier moaned from the sting, she grabbed his wrist and tossed him over her shoulder. Mr. Lanier's head hit the wooden table, knocking him out cold.
Miss Knight gazed contemptuously at her enemy before declaring, "Mr. Lanier, after witnessing your outrageous behaviour this evening, I have decided that you are fired!"
Just as Mr. Steed was about to release Keel from his imprisonment, Mr. Putnam entered the dungeon. So you've outwitted Mr. Lanier and killed Mr. Cunningham while I lay unconscious on the ground? I certainly have to give you credit for being quick and efficient."
"While you're busy complimenting us may we escape?" Steed asked half seriously and half in jest.
Oliver Putnam sneered as he replied, "I may be a fool for letting you beat me the first time, but I would be an idiot if I let you thrash me again." He motioned for Henderson, who had been hidden in the shadows, to join him. The two men did not produce firearms of any kind, so Steed construed that they were weaponless.
Steed knew his only chance for conquering these madmen was if he found the gun Lanier had had in his possession. If Putnam or Henderson spotted the weapon and grabbed it, Emma, Keel's and his demise would be inevitable. John tried to keep his body completely immobile as he searched the room out of the corner of his eye for the coveted handgun. Finally he spotted it, hidden under the wooden table. He was about to make a quick dash for the weapon, but Henderson beat him to it.
As Henderson pointed the gun at Steed's head, the young spy was filled with a feeling of utter dread. He turned to Miss Knight and said in a woebegone voice, "I'm sorry this didn't turn out differently for you, my dear. I was supposed to keep you from being killed, and I failed.
"We aren't dead yet, Steed," Emma replied simply yet confidently. Inside she was as petrified as she had ever been in her life, but she also felt exhilarated at being part of something so tremendously dangerous. Was the life of an agent what she really wanted? She snapped out of her musings, realising that it wouldn't matter if she had found her vocation in life if she was about to be gunned down.
She glanced lovingly at John Steed's face, wondering what sweet magic they could have created if they hadn't been caught . . . Stop it, Emma, she told herself. You are tough and can get out of this situation.
Steed was pondering over similar reassuring thoughts but not believing one word of them. He swallowed around the huge lump that was forming in his throat. His fists curled and released, but he did not notice this. He only felt the pain in his soul at the idea of failing his mission-of not being able to protect the most wonderful woman he had ever met.
"I want you to both turn around and put your arms in the air," ordered Putnam as he snatched the handgun from his assistant's hand. "I don't wish to see your sentimental expressions as you face your doom together."
Emma and John did as they were instructed all while Dr. Keel stood in his jail cell, useless. In complete anguish, he envisioned the painful death that was in store for the three of them. That same weapon had already caused the deaths of several other businessmen . . . Suddenly Keel had a startling and pleasant revelation. In a boisterous tone he shouted, "Let me be the first to die!"
Four heads turned in his direction. It was evident that everyone had forgotten about the doctor during the last tumultuous minutes. Putnam shrugged his shoulders before answering, "What do I care in which order I murder you?"
Keel was released from his cell and pushed in the center of the room. He smiled serenely as Oliver Putnam pulled the trigger. To everyone's relative astonishment, the gun did not fire but made that familiar clicking noise that indicated the gun was not loaded! Marching over to his nemesis, David Keel said smugly, "I may be a doctor, but I have learned several things from Steed about firearms, particularly the gun you hold now. This model can only hold six bullets. You fired two at Carton and one at Paine, Haley, and his vice-president. While you were unconscious, Steed fired the sixth and last bullet at Mr. Cunningham." Dr. Keel's face was inches away from Mr. Putnam's. "So you see, I have outwitted you in this little game of murder and deception."
Oliver Putnam was silent for a brief second and then hollered, "Henderson, grab a rifle from the cabinet over there." Of course he pointed directly at the mentioned cabinet, so Steed was able to stop Mr. Henderson.
Steed grabbed the henchmen's collar and lifted him off his feet. Then he backed him into a stone wall, bashing his head several times in the process. Henderson shoved his fingers into Steed's in an attempt to gouge his eyes out. Steed let go of Henderson, sending him to the cold, hard floor. While his adversary was rubbing his head, Steed kicked him in the face. Henderson toppled over like a sack of potatoes-badly bruised potatoes-while Steed wiped some blood from a scrape he had received from the enemy.
While John Steed was intent on smashing Mr. Henderson, Emma was in the process of beating Mr. Putnam. She used several Karate chops on his hand, forcing him to drop the empty weapon. She followed this maneuver by tossing him over her head with the greatest of ease. As he rose to his feet, she took a moment to swipe at the hair that had fallen in her face.
Miss Knight knew that Putnam would not give up so easily. His face contorted with wrath, Oliver Putnam charged at her, but she grabbed his two wrists and began whirling him around. When she began to feel dizzy, Emma let Putnam spin into one of the walls.
Keel dashed into one of the dungeon cells, crying, "Miss Knight, send Putnam this way!" He closed the door almost all the way, but he made sure not to lock himself in.
Even though she was still in a dress, Emma Knight kicked her opponent in the seat of his pants. Emma never was one to care much for propriety, thus she wasn't concerned if the doctor saw up her skirt. It was clear that he hadn't, or if he had, he was choosing to ignore it, for as soon as Putnam came head first at him, he pushed the cell door open. Oliver Putnam hit his head on the iron bars and crashed backwards into Emma's waiting arms. She chopped him violently in the neck, her anger dissipating at the sound of her flesh pounding his.
Steed jogged lightly over to Miss Knight and surveyed the pulverized Putnam. "My dear, you have proven yourself to be an extremely talented amateur spy! Might I call on you to assist me in the future?"
"If that is your desire, then you may," Emma replied in a pseudo-polite voice.
"Does that mean you won't be needing me anymore?" Dr. Keel asked hopefully.
"I'm surprised at you man! Where has your patriotism gone? Don't you know it is a privilege and an honour to protect your Mother Country?" Pretending to be offended at Keel's remark, Steed continued to rant in a ridiculous fashion, much to the amusement of his friends.
David Keel leaned over to Emma in order to whisper in her ear, "He might be at this soliloquy for days, so why don't we sneak out and get a nightcap?"
"And while we're enjoying some medicinal spirits will we call the police?" Emma enquired laughingly.
"That was my intention, Miss Knight," answered the gentle doctor. "I'll also tend your wounds if you will allow it." He pointed to her side, which had started to bleed again.
"Lead me, good Doctor Keel," Emma announced in a queenly air. She hooked arms with him, and the two left Steed to his rambling.
It didn't take long for the agent to realise he had been tricked, and he soon ran after the pair, protesting loudly all the way.
To Be Continued!
John Steed stood in the same spot for what seemed an interminable time. He was stunned that he had been conquered and even more astounded that Emma had accepted the defeat so elegantly. He shook his head from his perturbed thoughts and quietly sneaked down the path after Miss Knight.
In ten minutes he head reached the infamous dungeon. He arrived just in time to hear a gunshot followed by the sound of someone falling to the floor. Had Emma just been murdered? Steed ran as quickly as he could to the door, but as he reached the entrance Cunningham came outside with a dead man. Steed ducked behind the building just at that exact moment, saving him from being discovered. As Cunningham hurriedly buried the body, Steed slipped into the dungeon.
When his eyes had grown accustomed to the brightness, he perceived Dr. Keel and Miss Knight each in a stone cell. On a crude table was the gun that had killed all of the businessmen. Steed tried to advance toward his friends but tripped on the motionless body of Mr. Haley. "There seems to be an epidemic going around," he commented dryly, referring to all the dead men he had just observed.
"Steed, Mr. Cunningham is coming back!" warned Emma in a drained voice.
Steed whirled around, grabbed the pistol on the table, and aimed it at the entrance. When Mr. Cunningham stepped into view he was confronted by his own gun being held by an angry Steed! He cried out in alarm as a bullet slammed into his chest. Cunningham slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Emma's voice shattered the unusual quiet that had settled over the building. "What took you so long to get here?" she joked.
John Steed merely smiled grimly as an answer. He set the weapon down before he hurried over to the two cells. "Who were those two people?"
"One of them was Mr. Haley, and the other was his vice-president," David explained.
Satisfied at that answer, Steed enquired, "Are there any keys to unlock these gates?"
"I believe Mr. Putnam has them on his person," Keel replied.
"Well, we don't have time to return to Putnam and steal them." Steed glanced about himself before asking, "Do either of you have a pin of any kind?"
"I have a tiepin that might work," David offered as he removed the item from his dark blue tie.
Steed eagerly grabbed it through the bars and began working on Emma's jail cell. As he worked, Dr. Keel informed him of the diabolical plan of Oliver Putnam. "Haley, Carton, Miss Knight, etcetera were all the head of something. Most of the men were the bosses, while Miss Knight was the chairman of the board and managing director. At least one of their colleagues did not appreciate the fact that these men-and woman-had a higher station and more control over the business. They called on Putnam to dispose of the leaders so they could gain control of the companies.
"However, Mr. Putnam duped them all by making the terms so specific, that if anything should happen to the new presidents, Mr. Putnam would gain control of the corporations. Consequently, when Putnam killed Mr. Carton for a Mr. Paine-"
"Mr. Putnam also bumped off Paine," Steed finished thoughtfully. "So maybe Robinson was correct when he said that Putnam's Plastics was trying to make an indestructible ship." He managed to unlock Emma's door, so he went on to his friend's.
Dr. Keel continued, "And you were absolutely accurate when you told me about the evil receptionist. She's the one who got me kidnapped and imprisoned." He snapped his finger as he added, "I also heard her talking on the phone to a man named Lanier, if that is important."
Emma and John exchanged a knowing glance at this name. "You don't suppose Mr. Lanier wants you dead, Miss Knight?" Steed demanded agitatedly. He watched as Emma Knight stepped out of her confinement with an audible sigh of relief.
"No of course not; he was interested in my welfare! When we received that advertisement for Millbury Castle, Nancy begged me to take a holiday, and Lanier-" Emma paused as the truth sunk in her brain, "told . . . me . . . to take TWO WEEKS OFF!" She scowled fiercely at the thought of any man wanting her to be dead, especially a person who had been treating her like a daughter. She realised too late that it had all been a clever ruse to put her at ease when she should have been the most alerted.
"Now you know that I was definitely lying when I claimed Mr. Lanier had sent me to protect you," Steed joshed in an attempt to alleviate the gravity of the situation.
Miss Knight rubbed her forehead as she detected the first symptoms of an aggravating headache. She realised her face was covered with dirt from the road. She was about to make a superficial remark about how filthy she was when Mr. Lanier entered the building.
"Are you one of Mr. Putnam's men?" Lanier asked Steed.
Steed slipped the pin onto his own necktie before twirling around to face the wicked man. "Yes, my name is John Steed."
"I see that you've released Miss Knight so I can kill her. That was very thoughtful of you." Mr. Lanier picked up the gun that Steed had carelessly left on the table.
"At the price you've paid for this operation, we strive to be as thoughtful as achievable," Steed replied smartly.
"I just have one question: who is that man." Mr. Lanier pointed to the ground where Cunningham lay, his face a colour of blue.
Steed, still a rather inexperienced spy, hesitated at this inquisition. It was in this brief duration that the more experienced Lanier discovered that John Steed was lying. "All right, I'm going to have the pleasure of disposing of all three of you," Lanier declared.
Keel protested animatedly, "What have I done besides being a prisoner to a lot of insane men?"
"I can't have you telling the authorities about my double murder," Lanier promptly replied.
Emma determined to stall time by asking, "Why did you decide to kill me?"
"You were a woman with a high position-imagine a twenty-one-year-old woman!"
"I'll be twenty-two in a matter of days, Mr. Lanier," Emma countered.
"I wish you a happy birthday, my dear," Steed exclaimed. Miss Knight thanked him politely as if she didn't care that Mr. Lanier was pointing a dangerous weapon at her. Steed admired her courage during this difficult circumstance; she certainly was a talented amateur agent!
"You were always voting against of my plans, and the other board members would naturally follow you. After all, you were Sir John's daughter, so you must know what you're doing!" Lanier was venting his emotions, something he should have done months ago before he had taken desperate measures. "Now I will be in charge, now I will get my bills across, now you won't be able to stop me!"
Emma Knight mulled over the information she had learned from Dr. Keel. "Putnam has tricked you by claiming you'll gain control of the company, when in reality he is going to kill you as well! He wants to build a ship of massive destruction that is unbreakable! He doesn't care about you and your personal problems! I know you despise the very ground I walk on, but you must believe me."
"You're just trying to escape from my clutches," Lanier snorted in disbelief. "Do you have a last request before I kill you?"
"Yes, I'd like to have a cigarette if I may," Steed said. After Lanier nodded his consent, he pulled out a carton of cigarettes and a box of matches from his coat pocket. He nodded his head so quickly that it was almost imperceptible to the eye, but Dr. Keel noticed it.
With all the anxiety in his voice as he could muster, the doctor whispered audibly, "No, don't use those cigarettes, or you might blow us all to smithereens!"
"At least Mr. Lanier will be dead as well," Steed hissed loudly in return. He lit the cigarette with the polished air he so rightly possessed.*
Miss Knight had the vaguest suspicion that this was all a ploy to weaken Lanier's resistance. Using her own acting ability she feigned tears of horror and fear. "Either way you look at it, we're going to lose this game of espionage!"
"Are you trying to tell me that this man is a spy?" demanded Lanier disbelievingly.
"If you don't believe me, just look at the writing on my cigarette box." Steed extended his arm to show off the ludicrous jumble of letters printed on the carton. "It reads, 'highly explosive cigarettes; use at your own risk.' That message certainly is conclusive proof that I am an agent, isn't it Mr. Lanier?"
The elderly businessman's confidence began to waver as he stared at the flickering flame of Steed's lit cigarette. "Why hasn't it exploded yet, Mr. Steed?"
"These cigarettes only explode on contact, meaning I have to throw it against something for it to work." Steed flicked ashes from the cigarette butt while he waited for the crooked businessman's next move.
Lanier shakily pointed the gun at the secret agent as he ordered, "You had better drop that weapon right now, or I will blow your brains out."
"Did you have to use such graphic language?" John Steed admonished the older man. Quickly he added, "If you REALLY want me to drop this cigarette then I will." With that last remark, he flung the object high into the air.
Lanier shrieked in alarm as the "explosive" landed several feet from him. He covered his ears in anticipation of the blast, but none came. He realised he had been duped, but before he could react, Steed was upon him, punching him in the jaw repeated times with one hand. Steed's free fist grabbed the weapon from the gnarled hand of his assailant and tossed it into oblivion.
Emma Knight joined the brawl by chopping the nape of her co-worker's neck. As Lanier moaned from the sting, she grabbed his wrist and tossed him over her shoulder. Mr. Lanier's head hit the wooden table, knocking him out cold.
Miss Knight gazed contemptuously at her enemy before declaring, "Mr. Lanier, after witnessing your outrageous behaviour this evening, I have decided that you are fired!"
Just as Mr. Steed was about to release Keel from his imprisonment, Mr. Putnam entered the dungeon. So you've outwitted Mr. Lanier and killed Mr. Cunningham while I lay unconscious on the ground? I certainly have to give you credit for being quick and efficient."
"While you're busy complimenting us may we escape?" Steed asked half seriously and half in jest.
Oliver Putnam sneered as he replied, "I may be a fool for letting you beat me the first time, but I would be an idiot if I let you thrash me again." He motioned for Henderson, who had been hidden in the shadows, to join him. The two men did not produce firearms of any kind, so Steed construed that they were weaponless.
Steed knew his only chance for conquering these madmen was if he found the gun Lanier had had in his possession. If Putnam or Henderson spotted the weapon and grabbed it, Emma, Keel's and his demise would be inevitable. John tried to keep his body completely immobile as he searched the room out of the corner of his eye for the coveted handgun. Finally he spotted it, hidden under the wooden table. He was about to make a quick dash for the weapon, but Henderson beat him to it.
As Henderson pointed the gun at Steed's head, the young spy was filled with a feeling of utter dread. He turned to Miss Knight and said in a woebegone voice, "I'm sorry this didn't turn out differently for you, my dear. I was supposed to keep you from being killed, and I failed.
"We aren't dead yet, Steed," Emma replied simply yet confidently. Inside she was as petrified as she had ever been in her life, but she also felt exhilarated at being part of something so tremendously dangerous. Was the life of an agent what she really wanted? She snapped out of her musings, realising that it wouldn't matter if she had found her vocation in life if she was about to be gunned down.
She glanced lovingly at John Steed's face, wondering what sweet magic they could have created if they hadn't been caught . . . Stop it, Emma, she told herself. You are tough and can get out of this situation.
Steed was pondering over similar reassuring thoughts but not believing one word of them. He swallowed around the huge lump that was forming in his throat. His fists curled and released, but he did not notice this. He only felt the pain in his soul at the idea of failing his mission-of not being able to protect the most wonderful woman he had ever met.
"I want you to both turn around and put your arms in the air," ordered Putnam as he snatched the handgun from his assistant's hand. "I don't wish to see your sentimental expressions as you face your doom together."
Emma and John did as they were instructed all while Dr. Keel stood in his jail cell, useless. In complete anguish, he envisioned the painful death that was in store for the three of them. That same weapon had already caused the deaths of several other businessmen . . . Suddenly Keel had a startling and pleasant revelation. In a boisterous tone he shouted, "Let me be the first to die!"
Four heads turned in his direction. It was evident that everyone had forgotten about the doctor during the last tumultuous minutes. Putnam shrugged his shoulders before answering, "What do I care in which order I murder you?"
Keel was released from his cell and pushed in the center of the room. He smiled serenely as Oliver Putnam pulled the trigger. To everyone's relative astonishment, the gun did not fire but made that familiar clicking noise that indicated the gun was not loaded! Marching over to his nemesis, David Keel said smugly, "I may be a doctor, but I have learned several things from Steed about firearms, particularly the gun you hold now. This model can only hold six bullets. You fired two at Carton and one at Paine, Haley, and his vice-president. While you were unconscious, Steed fired the sixth and last bullet at Mr. Cunningham." Dr. Keel's face was inches away from Mr. Putnam's. "So you see, I have outwitted you in this little game of murder and deception."
Oliver Putnam was silent for a brief second and then hollered, "Henderson, grab a rifle from the cabinet over there." Of course he pointed directly at the mentioned cabinet, so Steed was able to stop Mr. Henderson.
Steed grabbed the henchmen's collar and lifted him off his feet. Then he backed him into a stone wall, bashing his head several times in the process. Henderson shoved his fingers into Steed's in an attempt to gouge his eyes out. Steed let go of Henderson, sending him to the cold, hard floor. While his adversary was rubbing his head, Steed kicked him in the face. Henderson toppled over like a sack of potatoes-badly bruised potatoes-while Steed wiped some blood from a scrape he had received from the enemy.
While John Steed was intent on smashing Mr. Henderson, Emma was in the process of beating Mr. Putnam. She used several Karate chops on his hand, forcing him to drop the empty weapon. She followed this maneuver by tossing him over her head with the greatest of ease. As he rose to his feet, she took a moment to swipe at the hair that had fallen in her face.
Miss Knight knew that Putnam would not give up so easily. His face contorted with wrath, Oliver Putnam charged at her, but she grabbed his two wrists and began whirling him around. When she began to feel dizzy, Emma let Putnam spin into one of the walls.
Keel dashed into one of the dungeon cells, crying, "Miss Knight, send Putnam this way!" He closed the door almost all the way, but he made sure not to lock himself in.
Even though she was still in a dress, Emma Knight kicked her opponent in the seat of his pants. Emma never was one to care much for propriety, thus she wasn't concerned if the doctor saw up her skirt. It was clear that he hadn't, or if he had, he was choosing to ignore it, for as soon as Putnam came head first at him, he pushed the cell door open. Oliver Putnam hit his head on the iron bars and crashed backwards into Emma's waiting arms. She chopped him violently in the neck, her anger dissipating at the sound of her flesh pounding his.
Steed jogged lightly over to Miss Knight and surveyed the pulverized Putnam. "My dear, you have proven yourself to be an extremely talented amateur spy! Might I call on you to assist me in the future?"
"If that is your desire, then you may," Emma replied in a pseudo-polite voice.
"Does that mean you won't be needing me anymore?" Dr. Keel asked hopefully.
"I'm surprised at you man! Where has your patriotism gone? Don't you know it is a privilege and an honour to protect your Mother Country?" Pretending to be offended at Keel's remark, Steed continued to rant in a ridiculous fashion, much to the amusement of his friends.
David Keel leaned over to Emma in order to whisper in her ear, "He might be at this soliloquy for days, so why don't we sneak out and get a nightcap?"
"And while we're enjoying some medicinal spirits will we call the police?" Emma enquired laughingly.
"That was my intention, Miss Knight," answered the gentle doctor. "I'll also tend your wounds if you will allow it." He pointed to her side, which had started to bleed again.
"Lead me, good Doctor Keel," Emma announced in a queenly air. She hooked arms with him, and the two left Steed to his rambling.
It didn't take long for the agent to realise he had been tricked, and he soon ran after the pair, protesting loudly all the way.
To Be Continued!