Sparkling Stars #11

Detective Ted Hart closes in on a black-market racketeering ring led by the ruthless "Beef" Spence, whose operation has expanded from hoarding meat and sugar into the lucrative—and cutthroat—cigarette trade. When rival operator Mario attempts to infiltrate Spence's organization from within, his scheme spirals into violence and desperation, trapping him in a situation where Hart's investigation and underworld betrayal collide. A taut seven-page tale of ambition, double-crosses, and the price of greed during wartime shortages.

Speed Spaulding arrives at Dixie Military Institute as part of a good-will cadet exchange, and his athletic prowess quickly makes an impression on the baseball field—but it's when he discovers Red Walters, a talented but unschooled athlete hiding out in the countryside, that things get interesting. Speed convinces the reluctant Red to join the team and face the skepticism of his new teammates, setting up a climactic matchup against their rivals that will test whether raw talent and determination can overcome prejudice and doubt.