Chapter Four
Britt sat in the back of the Black Beauty in a blue business suit. Kato was in his black chauffeur's uniform and mask. Kato maneuvered the car through alleys and side streets in the dark, watching for any sight of a police car. Awareness of the police's location was normally an important component of being out on the streets in the Black Beauty. Tonight, it was vital. The duo patrolled the streets near Casey's apartment, hoping that the electric eyes that Kato had installed would not trigger the alarm.
Britt picked up the phone in the back of the car and dialed Harold Morrison's home. The mobile phone was equipped with a scrambler that prevented anyone from taping the call or tracing the number. He took every precaution to guarantee that his secret remained just that to ensure his fight against crime in the guise of a criminal would successfully continue.
"Hello?" Morrison said in the phone.
"Morrison, this is the Green Hornet. Decision time. Do you want me tomorrow or not?"
"Yes," Morrison replied. "We will rendezvous at Hogan Park, by the old drained fountain, tomorrow night at 11 p.m. From there, we will meet up with Mr. Keith Patrick and escort his 'printing press' to his new base of operations. Once we're up and running, you will receive one million dollars cash. Real cash, Hornet."
"I'll be there tomorrow night." Britt hung the phone up. "Tomorrow night at 11," he told Kato, "at the old fountain in Hogan Park. He's bringing Keith Patrick in."
"Keith Patrick?" Kato said. "Isn't he one of the most wanted counterfeiters in the country?"
"Yes," Britt said. "I guess the temperature's getting a little too hot for him in St. Louis, so he's moving here."
In Morrison's study, Harold Morrison stood with his hand on the phone receiver that he had just replaced. The man dressed as the Green Hornet was next to him. "It's all set, then," Morrison said. "The 'Green Hornet' will commit two more attacks, one tonight and one tomorrow evening. The real Green Hornet will show up at Hogan Park at 11, thinking he's meeting us to bring Patrick's counterfeit operation into town."
"Instead," the man dressed as the Hornet said, "he'll be greeted by police."
"Right, and Patrick will pay us a million dollars for getting the Hornet out of the way so he can take over." Morrison looked at the clock. "Shouldn't you get going?"
"I'm on my way. I have another date who spurned me to visit."
"You're not worried about that threat he made in the paper, are you?"
The man dressed as the Green Hornet laughed. "Are you kidding? How could he possibly catch me?"
"Keith Patrick, eh?" Frank Scanlon said. "That's major trouble."
"Morrison said we're to meet at Hogan Park tomorrow night at 11," Britt said. His gaze was out the window of the car while talking with Frank on the phone as Kato drove through the deserted streets. "I don't like it, though."
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know, Frank. I just have a bad feeling about this. Maybe I'm worried about these attacks."
"The ball's in your court at the moment, Britt. How do you want to play it?"
An alarm blared from the bank of switches and devices attached to the back of the front seat. "Later, Frank. The alarm Kato installed at Casey's is going off." Britt hung the phone up without a farewell to his friend. "Step on it, Kato," he said.
Kato had installed three electric eye sensors. The first was at the top of the steps in the corridor on the second floor where Casey's apartment was located. The second was outside of Casey's apartment, past the last door before Casey's apartment entrance. The last sensor silently guarded the door. Kato had set the alarm up to ring only if all three electric eyes suffered interference within a one-minute period. Someone had breeched the security. The only work the two men had planned for the evening was monitoring for the alarm, hoping the night would be uneventful. That hope was dashed with a loud blare.
Britt stayed in his business suit. They plotted, should the alarm go off, for the secretary's boss to show up and surprise the man. An employer-secretary encounter would not arouse suspicion, unlike what might happen should the Green Hornet arrive to defend Casey. When Kato reached the front of the apartment Britt jumped out, barely giving the car time to stop.
Upstairs, Casey found herself face to face with the Green Hornet in the hall that ran from the door to the living room of the apartment. "Good evening," he said with a snarl. "The Green Hornet is here to see you!" He raised his left hand, revealing a knife with a five-inch blade reflecting in the light.
Casey tried desperately to maintain her composure. She knew that help was not far away. How much damage could be done before help arrived was what frightened her. She slowly backed down the hall toward the living room, saying nothing. The man was smiling as he continued advancing toward her, finally within arm's length of Casey. As Casey reached the end of the hall Britt charged through the door. "Casey!" he called.
The sudden appearance of someone shocked the man dressed as the Green Hornet. He thrust his left hand toward Casey as he turned right to face the man coming in the apartment. As he turned Casey raised her arms to protect her body in reaction to the man's motion. The knife caught Casey's left arm near the wrist. He dragged the knife down the length of her arm, stopping near the elbow as he turned to face Britt. He lunged toward Britt, the knife out and aimed for the body. Britt sidestepped the motion and the man ran through. He did not stop, catching his balance and running off down the hall, his footsteps on the stairs echoing in the corridor outside.
Britt went to check on Casey. She threw her right arm around his waist and buried her head in his chest, sobbing as she held the injured arm out to prevent blood from dripping on him. Britt wrapped his arms tightly around Casey's shoulders.
Remembering Kato was in the car, Britt pulled a pocket watch out of his jacket. The watch was another marvel of Kato's. It kept perfect time, yet was also outfitted with a two-way radio and a transmitter that signaled Frank Scanlon via a buzzer hidden in the frame of Frank's glasses. Britt turned the stem, which activated the radio. "Kato!"
Kato picked up a microphone in the car. "He's getting in his car. You want me to follow him?"
"No. He stabbed Casey. I need you up here."
Kato took down the license number of the car the Green Hornet fled in before rushing into the apartment. He darted up the stairs and into the apartment, shutting the door with his foot behind him.
The hallway made a turn to the left at the bedroom door. The living room to Casey's apartment was at the end of the second hallway. A kitchen with an open space that served as a bar area or dining space was to the left of the living room. Two barstools sat on the side in the living room. The living room itself was typically furnished with end tables, a sofa and two matching chairs, and a television.
Britt walked Casey to the sofa and sat her down. Her face, wet from tears, was still buried in Britt's suit jacket. Kato spotted them as Britt gently moved Casey's left arm to inspect the damage. Blood ran down her arm, but not at an alarming rate. Kato ran into the kitchen and brought a towel to the sofa, putting it over Casey's wounded arm.
"We need to get out of here," Kato advised. "There were witnesses." Britt nodded and stood. Kato, on Casey's left, carefully helped Britt bring Casey to her feet, being mindful to not touch her lower arm. Britt gently pried himself free of Casey's grasp and took Kato's place to her left. He slid his right arm around her shoulder and held her injured arm parallel to the floor as they walked toward the door. Kato grabbed Casey's purse from off one of the barstools as he passed by. Britt and Casey were near the steps when Kato caught up with them after closing and locking the apartment door.
As the trio made their way toward the car Kato produced the Hornet Gun from his pocket. He pointed the gun in the general direction of Britt's back. The gun was armed with sleeping gas, not bullets; however, only those who had experience with the gun knew that truth. The scene appeared to be the Green Hornet's associate abducting two people. Kato maintained the act as he opened the right rear door of the Black Beauty and helped Britt escort Casey into the back seat. After he shut the door he hurried to the driver's seat and sped away into the night.
Casey shivered as if in a freezer as her mind replayed the knife coming toward her, followed by an onslaught of tears and whimpering. Britt sat silently, squeezing Casey's shoulder when the shuddering began until she calmed down with a few deep breaths. Then the cycle would repeat itself. Britt sat on the sofa in his den, Casey against his left shoulder. Kato was to Casey's left, still in his black uniform. The gloves, mask, and cap sat on Britt's desk. He could change after Casey was cared for. The towel Kato had grabbed in Casey's apartment was still wrapped around her arm. He repeatedly attempted to move Casey's arm to treat the knife wounds, but Casey refused to let him. After a few unsuccessful attempts Britt gently lifted Casey's arm. She winced in pain, but ceased offering resistance.
Kato removed the towel. A red scar ran the length of Casey's arm almost in a straight line from her pinky finger to the elbow. Most of the bleeding had stopped, save for a couple of places where the knife had penetrated deeper. Kato doused a cotton swab in alcohol and began cleaning the gashes. Casey reacted by jerking her arm away initially with a cry of pain. She sighed, lifting her head off Britt's shoulder to offer an apologetic glance at Kato as she willingly moved her arm back into his hands. "I'm so ashamed," she murmured.
Britt softly kissed Casey's forehead. "Don't be," he said gently. "You've been through a very traumatic experience."
"That could have been much worse," Kato said.
"Absolutely," Britt agreed. He lightly squeezed the tip of her nose between his index and middle fingers the way a big brother would when chiding a sister. "Don't you apologize for reacting this way."
The reassurance Britt provided knocked out Casey's fears the way one of Kato's chops finished off criminals. "Thanks," she said softly. "I don't know why I'm still scared. I'm safer here than anywhere. Who can get past you two?" Casey looked at Britt's jacket where her face had been buried. "I'll pay the dry cleaning bill for your suit." Britt laughed and twitched her nose again.
Kato continued to apply alcohol to the cuts on Casey's arm. The sting interrupted her newfound sense of tranquility. "Ow," she complained as the alcohol seeped into the open wounds.
"Sorry, Miss Case," Kato apologized, dabbing the blood off her arm.
Casey sat up suddenly, her left arm again moving away from Kato's attempts to nurse the injury. "That man," she said, "he had the knife in his left hand."
"Good girl, Casey," Britt said. "That helps."
"How does that help?" Kato asked.
"Only 10 to 15 percent of people are left handed," Britt explained. "That fact eliminates 85 to 90 percent of the population," Britt said. He rose from the couch and went for the phone. He picked up the phone and dialed Frank Scanlon's office.
"Scanlon."
"Frank?"
"Britt! I was just getting ready to call you. The phony Green Hornet has hit again. A neighbor called the police after spotting him…"
"At Casey's apartment."
Frank dropped the phone in shock of the news. He quickly recovered and picked the receiver up. "Sorry. What happened?"
"Thankfully, not much, because we were in the neighborhood and the alarm Kato installed worked. Casey's employer was stopping by with some work, and he surprised the Green Hornet."
"Is she all right? Where is she?"
"Here, at my house. Her arm was slashed, but it looks superficial. We'll take her to the hospital if she needs it. Good news, too, Frank."
"I need some."
"Kato got his license number."
Frank grabbed a pen out of the holder on his desk. "Okay."
Britt read from the sheet of paper Kato had written the number on. "It's JEN 5309."
"I'll make a run on it and get back to you in the morning."