“STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1940, Page 10

“STRATOSPHERE EXPRESS”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

BY

ALROY WEST.

(Author of "Messengers of Death," etc.)

CHAPTER IV. (Continued) The two men hurried away, and Voss started to bustle about in one corner of the laboratory. Storm struggled with his bonds, but he had no great hopes of freeing himself. He didn't relish the experiment, and was beginning to fell troubled about the future. His surroundings, although interesting under other conditions, were sinister. The long rows of shelves containing glass jars, the glass beakers and test tubes, the bunsen burners, the accurate scales in their glass cases all spoke of scientific mysteries. He had read that it was comparatively easy to dispose of a human body providing one had the correct and the sight of several carboys, presumably containing corrosive acids, away in one corner did not comfort him.

Presumably, Voss was a competent Scientist. In which case his talk of “narco-analysis” was probably correct. Was it wise to try to remain silent? After all, Bessiter had failed with regard to the protection. Voss came over to him and placed a syringe on the marble slab. “You will talk very quickly—now,’’ he remarked.

Storm felt a sudden anger. He felt that he wanted to grab Voss and break his neck, or do something equally unpleasant. But Voss was deep in thought, and it was useless to swear at him or try to give him ugly looks. Looks didn't hurt and Storm realised that it was impossible to get his hands free.

"I think it would be as well to have a very small torch so that I can flash it at your eyes if you do not look at me. I tried it once before, and it was a great success. I will get it.” Storm was silent. He was watching the door. It seemed to him that it moved' slightly. He stared at it, and realised that he was not mistaken. Was ti Dickin? It couldn't be Dickin, for

the hand that came into view was the slender hand of a girl. It made a motion in the direction of Voss. Storm understood what was required of him. “Mr. Voss,” he said gently. "Yes,” “I have an idea.” "You have, eh? I will come over to you, but I am not very interested in your ideas.” Storm gave a smile. Voss, in his present position, had a fairly good view of the door. Once over by the chair his back would be towards it, and whoever was outside would have the chance of entering the room unobserved.

"Well, what is it?” Voss looked down at Storm. "What happens to a person who is treated in the way you have described?”

“How do you mean? Are you feeling anxious about the after effects?” “Yes. I wondered if it would make a permanent effect on the nervous system, or anything like that.” Voss shook his head.

“I do not think so. You see, this particular method may be used in loss of memory cases. So you need have no fear with regard to the future —at least, so far as 1 am concerned.”

Storm realised that the door was being opened further. “Now would it render me more easily liable to hypnotic treatment? I have heard that once a person is hypnotised the person responsible for the hypnosis can always be successful.”

Voss frowned. "I must admit that I am not able to answer your question. Of course, using the same method one would always Oe able to give a second treatment, or a sequence of treatment. But I do not know whether one would then be able to hypnotise without the aid of the drug. It might, be so. But I have never made the experiment, so I cannot tell you. Tiny beads of perspiration came

upon Storm's forehead. He had forced himself not to look in the direction of the door for fear that some expression on his face might betray things to the scientist. The temptation to look was getting stronger every second, and it required every ounce of moral strength to keep his eyes fixed on Voss.

“You seem troubled.” Voss declared. “If that is so, I should advise you to give the information. After all, the truth may not be concealed. You either give it freely or it is taken from you. I do not understand why you should be. . .”

He stopped suddenly and gave a cry of alarm. Storm glanced aside and gave a gasp. “Manda!”

“Sh!” the girl warned. She had a revolver pressed against Voss. “Turn round!” she ordered.

The man obeyed. "The first move you make—and 1 fire,” Manda snapped. “1 have a silencer fitted, so you’d better be sensible. I’m rather nervous and this might go off very easily." Voss made no comment.

“Do you think they heard him?" Storm asked anxiously. “I doubt it. I managed to close the door behind me, and there is a felt door beyond it. I have a knife here, so you'll soon be free.”

Still keeping Voss covered, she quickly cut through the rone which secured Storm.

"Gee! I'm stiff,” he declared, trying to rub the use back into his arms' "We haven't any time to waste," Manda warned him.

"I suppose we’d better fasten Voss up somehow.”

"Can you do it with that rope?" “I'll have a try. And I’ll use my handkerchief for a gag.” "There may be some chloroform along the shelf,” the girl suggested. "Then he will not be able to talk too quickly.” "That's a good idea.”

Storm fastened Voss’s hands behind his back and then secured his feel. A quick search revealed that there was some chloroform and he managed to sprinkle some on his own handkerchief and apply it to the scientist.

"That's that!" he remarked with considerable satisfaction. Manda was already at the door. Then she darted back’. "Somebody coming," she warned him. Storm looked about him

"The skylight!" he snapped. Before she'could utter a protest, he . caught her in his arms and hoisted her ■ up. Then, when she had opened it and crawled through, he stood up on the chair and managed to jump so that ho got his hands on a firm piece of woodwork. Manda helped him to gain the roof. “I had the one door open and the felt one was just ajar when 1 heard some people speaking. We’d better be moving away as quickly as possible.” Storm shook his head. "I don’t think there’s much, chance of getting clear," he said. “We might as well watch. 1 don’t suppose they’ll think of the skylight. Help me to lower it.” They did this, and then scrambled away from one or two of the glass panels which were set in the roof. Storm lay flat and chose a point from which he could look down into the lighted room. He saw the door open and Dickin come walking in. He at once gave a cry of alarm, which brought his com- ! panion running to him. They released i Voss and then placed him in a more i comfortable position. Storm could not hear what was being said, but he could tell that Dickin was pointing out the cut portions of rope. Neither. man seemed to think of the skylight, for they both hurried from the laboratory. Storm turned to Manda. “What did I tell you?” he asked. "That's all very well. But are we going to spend the rest of our lives up here?”

"No. We only wait until we can see what they are going to do.” "If you want to know that, you'll have to climb up to the main roof,” Manda advised. "The door is on the far side.” Storm patted her shoulder and then moved away. It was tricky work, but at last he managed to reach a point from which he could look down on the far side. Dickin and the other man were running to the low wall. There were some gates there, and they quickly forced them open. Storm snapped his fingers. He had had a brilliant idea. As quickly as possible he returned to Manda. “Come on!" he announced. "We’re getting out." “How?” "Never mind how. I’ve a plan. Hurry.” They discovered a fairly easy way down from the lower roof of the laboratory annexe. There were two cars in the asphalt-covered yard. "In that one!” he directed Manda. Stopping at the other, he quickly raised the bonnet and put it out of action with a few well-directed blows of a heavy spanner. Then he joined Manda and took the wheel of the car.

“They’ll hear that!” she cried. “Doesn’t matter if they do. They can’t get the doors closed upon us.” He started the car up. “Have you a car anywhere near?” he asked. "A taxi. I told the man to wait.” “Too bad for him! He’ll have a long wait. No! We mustn't let them, question him. Do you know your way

back?” "Yes, I’ll direct you.” The car gathered speed and roared through the open gateway to the road. Storm turned sharply and narrowly missed a white-clad figure. He smiled grimly. “They’ll waste time going back to the other car,” he told the girl. “Take the next road to the right. My taxi is there.” Storm drew up alongside it. ‘l’ll pay the man,” he said. This settled, he resumed his place at the wheel. As the taxi drove away a car came sweeping past. Storm quickly started off and steadily increased speed. “Know who that was?" he asked. Manda shook her head. “Godfrey Lovac,” Storm told her. “We must get away from here as quickly as possible. It isn’t healthy." “I don’t know him," said Manda. "Bessiter does,” Storm informed her. "Lovac called on lis today. He wants to buy Bessiter so that the stratoplane will never be constructed. When his offer was turned down, he pleasantly discussed the burning of factories and said that he thought arson was prevalent." “I wonder . . .’ said the girl, and then stopped. “I wonder several things. Which road do I take?” "Turn to the left.” “Good. I should have stayed behind. I might have found out something. But I didn’t think my luck would hold. Fancy Dickin doing a foolish thing like opening the gates. It was positively inviting me to get clear away.” “It was nothing of the sort. There is a wall round that laboratory. The place, by the way, belongs to Voss. It would be fatal to climb over the wall because there is an electrified wire. Voss doesn’t encourage visitors. Dickin went out to get some of the men. There is an eating house on the corner, and they gather there when Dickin wants them.” "I see. And he left his pal to guard the gates, instead of which the said pal had to go and have, a peep along the nearest road to see if he could see me ambling away." "It wasn’t that!" Manda pointed out. "There happens to be another entrance. 1 expect, it just flashed into his mind that somebody might have used it — which was perfectly true, because 1 did." "I see. What about abandoning this car now? We’re getting into the town, and it isn’t likely that anything can happen to us. We can leave this in a side street and catch a bus, after which wo can take a taxi to Bessiter’s home." “You can take me homo first," the girl said. "But you must come with me to Bessiter!" "I’ll tell you about that when we get to my flatlet. It's a cute little place. I think I cun let you see it without damaging my reputation. Nobody bothers in fiats, anyway." “All right! I'll do that —1 don’t understand it —but you managed to save me from a very awkward situation, so the least 1 can do is to obey." "Stop the car here, then.” Half an hour later Storm was having a well-earned rest. Manda mixed him , a cocktail and told him to smoke. | (To be Continued.)