Show a li f of t 7 BURST m Fo f WI I CHURCH f I t S ERV ce 1 rood aE STORY SR SO S-O- S FAR Jeff Curtis and Lee are already on their way urn erra Libre when he receives recel a note Zora Mitchell warning them not to k Ie When they arrive In Tierra Libre Ubre le her husband Ol of r find both Zora IZora and t d. d It Is Mitchells Mitchell's Job as chief egg engl i. i r for a fruit company that Jeff Jett has tats tacks t a 6 called to fill Later Jeffs Jeff's friend Io Fd i t. Berson Is killed and Jeff sus sus- Eb I is Ids employer Senor of him and the Mitchells Mitch ells because of y had found a clue to the strange a is coin oln on at the plantation Other othere i. i t figures are the company chemist ie e and the flyers Dyers and estock A man named Collins areU ar- ar U Zone to Mitch Mitch- es s from the Canal sec see t. t and and Jeff hires him without arousing E suspicions A talk with Jerry n g discloses that 1 is part eb eay iman ane and Is dealing with the Nazis I ra jo kilns reveals his Identity as a U. U S. S Ie lej iea i Tal dal al Intelligence officer When he and hidden bidden German bombers discover er 3 that there will be trouble lie He just persuaded to let Lee Leethe bled the children leave for a few days b OW W CONTINUE WITH TIlE THE STORY 1 CHAPTER a F Bueno bueno finally ras es b d more smoothly There is no nod nod fd d of this heat It will be only for a or two But understand this t must not be used as an open- open R wedge for regular contact with Associated i j Associated people That I will have during our construction pelis pe- pe j tI lis is dignity recovered he turned s Emilio milio who had been standing by firing fring ing incuriously into the distance C C J Help Hep elp to get Senora Curtis and 2 j te children across to Riverbend e Si Senor P Curt mounted the steps At the I tu j Mp watchers atcher's office he put in a call r his house at San Alejo Di Mi Lee Surprise Pack for forand self and the kids Youre You're visit- visit g g Jerry and Marta for a day or o. o They're having an dinner tonight tonight- But Jeff what anni anni- anni Im m sorry I cant can't go As I told u Im I'm completely tied up until riI new shovels are in operation th you have a good time for Tie fc-Tie both of us Im I'm sending the car carn carr n fc r you now Can you be ready ini in i minutes rUI uI think so dear but but but- n No buts I cant can't go and that's t tat If you wait for me you may di fiver see them Theres There's no telling I hen hen I can get a day from the job This last should tell h dHe bu hung up buee ee the urgency of the situation giving the operator operator un un- un I L listening in anything in-anything anything to p hew w o on c But ut Lee reached by fa noon loon The kids bounced about ins in ls s Excitement clutching at Curt He earned Birned ned them over to Emilio together er r with the three small bags Lee ad d brought Then he held Lee close whisper- whisper pg while pretending to kiss her Dont Don't look so anxious sweet Keep l clear face Everything's under t Control Control and Ill I'll be with you sooner tihan you think He managed to slip into her palm note t 1 folded tightly For Jerry Curt then handed Lee into the goat boat and watched the crossing He law jaw her met on the other bank bank- that at would be Jerry God bless him Sand and they waved across at each ether her Monahan had been all day at the tractor actor Their progress had hadeen hadI I een en slowed today by more difficult terrain More filling more matting iad ad ad been necessary He returned to along with Curt and Emilio Emi- Emi Emio lio o 0 and after the three had showered showered showered show- show ered and changed clothing they had supper together Collins was finishing finishing finish- finish ing mg his at a table by himself He looked a good bit fresher than he thad this morning Hed He'd shaved and Tit fit it was clear hed he'd slept all day j After supper Curt went to his office of- of fice followed as usual by his body body- guard l Eight nine ten o'clock came and still Curt applied himself l There I was plenty to be done he might as aswell aswell well do it Emilio looked in on him rum once once annoyed but making no com- com ment ment Curt merely looked up then J back at his desk again Ten Curt rolled up what prints paints hed he'd been using stacked his papers He came to the door of the drafting room stretching and yawning In the middle of the stretch he stiffened Emilio looked up instantly alert almost alert almost cious Curts Curt's eyes without having turned his head seemed to be piercing piercing piercing pierc pierc- ing the darkness beyond the porch He banked on Emilios Emilio's drowsiness to keep him from realizing immediately immediately immediately immedi immedi- that no one can see into darkness darkness darkness dark dark- ness from a lighted space In a alow alow alow low voice keeping his lips stiff Curt said Theres somebody out there out behind those palms Size and shape looks like like Collins Collins Id I'd say Putout Put out your light As he spoke he reached behind him inside the door of the drafting I room and switched off the lights there Emilios Emilio's reaction was to snap off the table lamp and move catlike I to the door reaching for his gun Then Curt struck The butt of his own gun caught the native behind the ear Emilio went down without a sound Curt hauled the unconscious man manI I into the bedroom and shut the door He closed the hinged bamboo shutters shutters shutters shut shut- over his window then turned on the light in the adjoining shower room and left that door open a crack There was no rope available so he ripped a sheet into strips to bind the mans man's hands ands behind him tie his his feet his legs He soaked these strips in water so they couldn't possibly possibly possibly pos pos- sibly be worked loose He fashioned a gag pried open the teeth secured it in place Then he picked up th theinert the theinert inert form and tossed it on the bed Before snapping off the bathroom light a glance at his wrist showed it was ten Hed He'd better get the crew together Jerry should be beon beon beon on this side by now to meet Monahan Monahan Monahan Mona- Mona han upriver away from lights On Sunday nights settled settled settled set set- down earlier than on Satur Satur- days Already most of the residence residence residence resi resi- dence lights were out and only one end of the mess-hall mess showed ty His eyes now adjusted to the dark Curt could see through the screen door what looked like two trunks to the palm tree in the yard Collins he called softly Yo Curt picked up a camera and flash flashbulb flashbulb flashbulb bulb hed he'd set apart earlier then let himself out and down the short path For several minutes neither spoke then as Curt was grumbling Wish they'd hurry Id I'd like a smoke Collins touched his arm armand armand armand and pointed in the dimness Curt grunted Yeh that's them Two figures were making their way toward the bungalow taking advantage of every patch of heavy darkness The four men joined forces Lee and the kids were Curts Curt's first words Okay McInnis answered By luck the San Timoteo's taking on l e 1 1 T t 1 1 4 I 1 S' S I I Emilio went down without a sound fruit They're aboard now The TheOld TheOld TheOld Old Mans Man's given orders to speed the loading and be ready to pullout pullout pull out at daylight with whatever load I they have by then Hell He'll get heck from Distribution McInnis chuckled chuckled chuckled chuck chuck- led but I guess his shoulders are broad enough Monahan stopped them at a cache hed he'd prepared earlier in the evening and all four shared the load the load the big bundle of dynamite the three cans of black powder the fat coil of fuse Getting to the and running running running run run- ning a car outside the yard limits unseen proved easy Once under underway underway underway way Curt sketched a quick picture for McInnis of what they'd found last night what they were headed for McInnis grunted a couple of times and at the end said Okay what's the program Curt went over it At one point Collins interrupted Well get there about midnight Monahans Monahan's job is set for for one Not sure that'll be time enough for me Got to study those fuse mechanisms Chances are they'll be simple enough but I cant can't be sure Okay another half hour think Collins considered Well have to chance it he said reluctantly cant take all night Anyway these explosives will do the job on the planes in case I cant can't set the bombs for explosion Yes make it one- one thirty Okay got it said Monahan Another thing Collins went on once you men get the dynamite planted you'll have to clear out Ill I'll finish priming the bombs alone Then if anything goes wrong we wont won't all grow halos You'd be no use to me anyway Guess youre you're right Curt growled Well we cant can't all aU be heroes and he mentally saluted the Navy man Midway across the flats fiats he stopped the car to climb a pole and cut the two telephone lines the lines the dispatchers dispatcher's dispatch dispatch- ers er's line and the general office link be between San Alejo and Nothing happened to impede them They reached the foot of the in good time despite despite despite de de- de- de spite running without lights There Monahan melted into the night to grope his way up a trail A wide ditch circled the foot of the a catch basin to carry off the torrential rains of the wet season as they flooded down the mountainsides A wooden bridge carried the tracks across this chan chan- nel The three men quickly pushed the car through the airfield spur and mainline connecting tracks until until until un un- til it was headed for the river again and pushed it back across the bridge so it was clear for the run to Tem Tem- pujo As Curt and McInnis were loading loading loading load load- ing themselves gingerly with explosives ex ex- ex- ex plosives the plosives the dynamite and two cans of powder powder Collins Collins spoke up It wont won't take all three of us to break in Ill I'll be planting this last can to knock out that bridge behind us Have that much done Good Curt cut a length of fuse for the job took the rest of the coil and with McInnis got under way for the hidden hangars They reached the fence and Curt led the way cautiously to the spot where hed he'd broken through last night He played his flash along the ground Good The leaves and debris debris debris de de- de- de bris scattered over the soft fill of the hole hed he'd used before was ed Yeh eh Y but I dont don't like this Curt Looks too easy I cant can't believe they dont don't keep some kind of watch You would I would they're not dumber are they You could ave got through last by sheer luck I know Its It's been in my mind too But theres there's nothing we can do about it except keep alert McInnis' McInnis words were prophecy It was as they were hauling at the strip of corrugated sheathing sheathing-a a noisy job itself that itself that they heard the running feet So there was a patrol maintained The two men jumped away from the wall and fell flat in the dry grass The feet pounded around the end of the building building building build build- ing a flash played back and forth and picked out the hole in the fence the sprung sheet Was 1st das sie The man ran to the fence then to the break in the hangar wall walI The sheet had not been ripped sufficiently to admit a person so the man turned from the building and played his light about the space between it and the fence The two Americans couldn't possibly possibly possibly bly avoid detection long Curt made madea a cautious move for his gun and the rustle of the dry grass gave him away The guard shot wildly in that direction and doused his flash Curt and McInnis rolled apart instantly in but neither used his gun inthe inthe in inthe the blackness for the flash would give away his position The guard too after the first wild shot held his fire But his movements showed snowed he was edging toward the fence Alarm wire shouted Curt Along the top fence-top Hes He's trying to reach it The guard lunged for the fence but there came a shot from beyond it from the other side Collins A quick stab from Collins' Collins flashlight showed the German close to the fence his arm the man ready to spring Another shot and the man went down Finished my job at the tracks Collins called anxiously and heard this guy as I neared the fence Then the shot Are you okay Yes cried Curt Theres a ahole ahole ahole hole in the fence Collins Get busy you guys Ill I'll see if the shots car car- ried He raced around the end of the building and to the front He had a clear view to the other end of the field A few night lights showed as they had last night Under one ore of these the one outside the clubroom two figures stood like statues Men listening Presently they seemed to relax They moved out of the light not fast as though alarmed and the clubroom lights snapped on Curt relaxed too The shots had been behind the buildings here the sounds wouldn't have carried sharply to the theother theother theother other end end he he hoped He returned to the others Collins and McInnis had forced entrance to the hangar All three had flashlights tonight and Curt found McInnis taking a quick look- look see for himself Collins was at the bomb room door forcing the lock Curt and McInnis joined him Inside the long partition they spent a moment studying the layout The cylindrical casings were pointed at atthe atthe atthe the bulkhead which was constructed of thick planks When assembled there'd be a space a-space bf of about two feet between the noses of the bombs and the heavy wall l Okay men it it'll 11 work Collins said Get busy on your jobs Ill I'll handle mine The room was wired with lights Since no beam could escape outside outside outside out out- side Collins snapped the switch and immediately got to work on a study of the first tail fuse at hand Huh he said dismally the arming vane type Well guess I can revolve them by hand Nose Nosepiece Nosepiece Nosepiece piece 1 I understand that well enough Pull the pin and they're set for impact These bombs were designed for loading on planes assembled but not set for explosion On release from the plane the arming pin of ol the nose fuse would have to be pulled to free the mechanical restraint re- re restraint re reo that prevents the fuse from firing the detonator In the case of the tail fuse however that brake would be released automatically auto by the revolution of the arming vane as the bomb fell through the air TO OC GE CONTINUED |