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“Do not make a move,” Tracy ordered as the man’s hand moved towards the desk. The gray man jerked back his hand and responded in a strained whisper.
“There is money in the drawer here, much money to pay those outside. It is all yours, thousands of pounds. All you must do is turn your back for a few moments, that is all I beg of you. Let me leave—”
“You take me for a fool, sir! I am of the Pinkerton’s and in the employ of The Transatlantic Tu
At this the gray man crumpled, in such a tragic ma
“Now sir, you will remove that mask—or shall we do it for you?”
“No… please, no…” was the gasped answer, but it touched Tracy not. Gun held at the ready he stepped forward, seized mask and hat in one hand and, with a single gesture, hurled them aside. Gus gasped.
Sitting there, the mask removed, was someone he knew, someone he would never have suspected, someone who could not possibly be in this place at this time.
“Do you know who that is?” asked Gus.
“A hardened criminal,” Tracy responded.
“No, it can’t be, he is not. But still he is here. It is unbelievable.”
“You know him then?”
“Of course I do! That is none other than Henry Stratton, a respected financier from Boston and a member of the New York branch of The Transatlantic Tu
“Well then, it seems we have our man at last. A member of the Board of Directors indeed! It is no wonder the criminals were privy to all your secrets and could strike wherever they wished.”
While they spoke Stratton sat with lowered eyes, limp with exhaustion and defeat, uncaring. However when they had finished he struggled himself erect and a little of his old fire returned to his voice that no longer whispered.
“I beg of you gentlemen to release me. The disgrace, my family, you ca
“No,” said Tracy and in his voice was the immutability of doom, the monolithic force of destiny, so powerful that Stratton wilted again under the irresistible assault.
“Yes, you are right, I should not ask, a last desperate attempt of a desperate man. I am doomed and have been so since the begi
“But why?” Gus burst out. “What could lead you, a respected member of the community, to such reprehensible actions?”
Stratton looked up at him slowly, then smiled a wintry smile that held no slightest touch of humor.
“Why? I might have expected you to ask that kind of question, Washington, since you are the sort that is never bothered by the kind of human problems that trouble others. You are a machine for building tu
“I am a member of the Board and have invested my all in the company. But I was greedy and wished more, so secretly sold some stock from an estate for which I am executor to buy more tu
“Who are these people who have done this to you,” asked Gus.
Stratton waved a weary hand in the direction of the papers scattered about the cabin.
“It is all there, you will find out for yourself soon enough. Shipping interests, foreign countries, all the men of power and men of evil who felt that the tu
“No,” said Tracy, firmly, “for you are our best witness.”
“Yes,” said Washington with the voice of command. “We have prisoners enough outside, if it is prisoners that you are interested in. What I care about is stopping the sabotage and exposing the fiends who are behind it—and we have them here in these papers. Look at these names! Respected men, powerful companies! There will be arrests and some sliding stocks in the market and the sabotage will end once and for all. The foreign governments can’t be touched, but their active interests can be exposed and that will keep them in line for a good while. We have what we need here. I insist that we grant Mr. Stratton’s request.” Tracy hesitated a moment, then shrugged. “Justice will be served and my fee will be just the same. If you insist—and take full responsibility for the decision.”
“I do. And I know Sir Winthrop will back me up.”
As they gathered up the papers and prepared to leave the voice of the ruined man hissed after them. “I hate you, Washington, you and all the things you stand for. But, for my family’s sake, I begrudgingly offer thanks.”
Soon after the door was closed behind them a single shot broke the stillness and after that all was silent again.
III. DANGER IIN THE DEEPS
Here, two miles beneath the surface of the Atlantic, was the realm of eternal night; dark, silent, and still, an empty world of black water. The surface of the ocean with its winds and weather, breaking waves, surging currents and burgeoning life was more than ten thousand feet above. That is where the sunlight was and the plankton, the microscopic life forms that ca