"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 116 - Intimidation,Inc" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

Of four men who had come here, three believed that they had found the
real
brains behind Intimidation, Incorporated; that their individual visits had
told
Link Delvo that they were strong enough to defy him in the future, since they
faced an enemy of known identity.
The fourth man had formed a different impression. He was a lone hand, a
supercrook looking for the man who had muscled in on his racket. He had come
to
find out if his terms were accepted. The master crook had learned that such
was
not the case.
If he had held any doubt that Link Delvo was not the man he sought, he
was
no longer in such quandary. Though the alligator bag had been displayed so
that
four men could see it, The Shadow had actually placed it in view for the
benefit of one definite visitor.
From his pocket, The Shadow drew the letter that had come to him as Link
Delvo. He read its final threat. The words brought a whispered laugh from his
disguised lips. The Shadow wanted to meet the threat of Intimidation,
Incorporated. He was ready for it, looking forward to the hour when he would
meet the master crook in person.
The Shadow spent the next two hours making final survey of Sack Balban's
books. He replaced them in the safe, locked its door and stepped across the
office.
Opening the door suddenly, he heard a stir from somewhere across the
corridor. Detectives, on the watch, had scurried out of sight. The Shadow
closed the office door; left it unlatched so that the dicks could come in and
snoop, if they had the nerve.
It was nearly eight o'clock; time for the lieutenants to gather in the
apartment. The Shadow turned out the office lights. He went through the
passage
to the apartment. He opened the door and was greeted by a smoke-filled room.
Klondike Greems and the other five lieutenants had arrived ahead of him.
Nods and grins were in order as the lieutenants saw Link Delvo. His hand
on the doorknob, The Shadow saw something hollow in the welcome. He paused,
his
face showed a hard scowl as he eyed Klondike Greems. The chief lieutenant gave
a
sudden snarl. It came with the speed of a command.
Up from their chairs swung the other five lieutenants, each man whipping
his hand into view as he came. Simultaneously, Klondike shot his fist for his
own hip pocket, copying the move that the rest of the crowd had made.
Revolvers glimmered. Gun muzzles loomed toward a single objective: the
doorway where The Shadow stood. In less than a single second, six rogues had
staged a mutiny. At Klondike's order, they had turned traitors against Link
Delvo and were ready to dethrone him.
The Shadow had no chance to whirl away. Nor could he reach for the big
revolver that he carried. One false move would have brought him instant death