10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

disclosing that his name was Theodore Packer and that he was connected with a radio station, “Here is what we want of you,” Packer smiled. “The death in action of Alex Garrick is the first easualty our city has suffered, The first fatal one, that is. We believe the city should hear how he died, the whole heroie story. Who can tell it better than someone who was there on Tarawa? It’s your patriotic duty to help us, Corporal.” “Why not?” McKay shrugged. “It might do some good. Make a few people - buy more war bonds. Sure, Pll do it. When?” “The whole thing is red hot,” Packer explained. “What with the murder of our district attorney, and your being there just after it happened, makes you real news, We’ve a local broadcast going on in two hours. We can take you to the studio right now for rehearsal. The time ele- ment, you know. By ten-thirty we'll have you back here. Incidentally, it’s worth fifty dollars,” “Keep your dough,” McKay said. “I’m ready now.” ‘Fhey waited for him to elean up, and soon he was being whisked downtown in a sedan. It came to a step outside what seemed to be a pretty old building for a radio station. Packer apologized. “Our main studios are being revamped completely. We’re using this building for a few weeks. Come along, Corporal.” Any suspicions which McKay might have entertained were blasted when he saw a large white card lettered with red paint announcing this was the entrance to the temporary studios of the broad- casting company. He followed Packer up a fiight of stairs to the second floor. The other man, so far very silent, was be- hind him. PS: opened a door and walked through. So did McKay, only to find himself in a large room, barren of fur- niture or anything else. As he stopped, suspicion rising anew within him, the man behind thrust a gun muzzle into the smai} of McKay’ s spine, Packer grinned at him. The room was illuminated with one eleetrie light, a small table lamp set on a box in the far corner eras af Os em Params so lost: Bis: are and — Te ~ on _________PRIGCER MAN FROM TARAWA———___—-9 like some of those Japs just before a death charge. “Be sensible, McKay,” Packer said. “You ean make a lot of money by talking. We want young Garrick’s message to the D. A, We want it badly enough to pay plenty or shell out a lot of agony to you. Why suffer? Come on, what did Garrick want you to tell the D. A.?” McKay took a long breath. He was trapped, Bither of these men were ready to shoot him down, but that didn’t make any difference. “Listen, you two,” he snapped. “Alex Garrick gave up his life for his country, but he didn’t die for a couple of rats like you. Once, way back there, the Japs held me prisoner for half an hour. They want- ed to know things I could tell them. They tried to make me talk, Do you believe even rats like you could do more to me than those Japs did? They found out noth- ing from me.” Packer shrugged. “We’re desperate, McKay, otherwise we wouldn’t pick on a hero. Garrick knew too much. He told us he might squawk if we didn’t stop cer- tain interests. Well, we can’t stop. His message to the D. A. is dangerous to us. We've got to know it. Yes, we can make you talk, because we’ve a little ace in the hole. First, however, we'll bat you around plenty. Don’t he a stupid idiot. Talk!” McKay told them where to. go. Instantly the man behind him used his pistol butt. McKay slumped to one knee, Blood ran down the back of his neck. Rage took possession of him. He wished then he had a rifle, bayonet equipped. He knew how to use one of those babies, Or a grenade, He knew them, too, McKay threw himself forward in an attempt to grab Packer. Instead, the erook kicked out. His toe hit McKay full in the face, He tasted blood this time, and it infuriated him, All he could think of was the fact that Alex Garrick had given up his life cheerfully for two Ss as these. McKay got in one healthy see It hit Packer squarely on the nose and blood ‘spurted. Then the other, silent man, be- gan using a blackjack. MeKay finally folded up. He was helpless against a thing like this. Someone threw water in his face. He << ra an sat up, diaay. and ath He ected s75ens, # _ comicbooks.com |