The Hydra Monster Read Online Free Page B

window open, climbed into the hall. There was a strong smell of rubbing alcohol and disinfectant all around.
He moved silently along the second floor corridor. At the head of the stairs leading down, he stopped, watching and listening. He could see the reception desk from here. A distraught blond nurse was trying to answer the phones and also pay attention to the circle of people nearby.
The circle consisted of two white-clad doctors and three blue-uniformed policemen.
"I've gone over it all," one of the doctors was saying. From his voice, the Phantom judged this to be Dr. Wollter. "They came in through the emergency entrance. We'd hardly had a chance to look at the wounded man."
"How many guys?" asked one of the cops.
"Three," replied Dr. Wollter.
"What did they look like?"
    The other doctor, a lean, black man, answered,
"Two of them were young, the other one was a fat guy in his forties."
The' policeman asked Dr. Wollter, "They carried the guy right out?"
'Yes, while the two younger men held guns on us the big man picked him right off the bed," said The young doctor. "That wounded man had a chance, you know. Now, moving him, I . . . I'm afraid he'll die."
"Probably what they wanted," suggested another cop. "You don't have any idea who the wounded man was?"
"None at all," answered Wollter. ,"Just as you arrived, this man, calling himself Devlin, phoned. He ... I got the impression he knew who the man was."
"Well, we didn't have time to trace Devlin's call," said the first policeman. "How long do you think this injured guy will last without some kind of medical attention?"
"Not long, a few hours at best," said Wollter. "You think there's much chance of finding him?"
The cop shrugged. "Not a hell of a lot. You say you didn't even see what kind of car they hauled him away in?"
"By the time we could get out to the street," said the black intern, "there was no sign of a car, especially through that fog."
"Well, maybe this man Devlin will come in as he promised," said young Dr. Wollter. "Then we may learn something."
The first cop laughed. "Not very likely."
    The Phantom backed away from the stairwell.
He climbed effortlessly back down to the alley. "There goes my only lead to Hydra," he thought. He and Devil returned to the sidewalk. In a car parked at the curb, a young man suddenly straightened in the driver's seat. "Hey," he whispered, "I knew watching this place would pay off. There's the guy with the dog."
The broad man beside him said, "Same guy who was trying to pump the hack driver?"
    "Yeah, that's him." He nudged the broad man. "Follow him for a while, Mumm, and then . . ." "Yeah, I know." Mumm quietly left the car.
    CHAPTER six
The fog horns seemed to be calling to each other, like giant bullfrogs out on the bay. The fog was thicker, hiding all but the closest objects.
Beside the Phantom, Devil gave a low growl as his hackles rose.
Patting the wolf, the Phantom said quietly, "Yes, I know, Devil. We're being followed. But let's not let him know we know."
He continued along the misty night street. Lamp posts appeared out of the greyness and were gone. The infrequent autos passed unseen, hissing off in the mist.
" just when I thought all my leads to Hydra had vanished," mused the Phantom, "they put a man on my trail. They must have had someone stationed at the hospital."
he became aware of the mouth of an alley to his right. He headed down it. There were two recessed doorways in the brick-walled building he was passing. He stepped into the second, beckoning Devil to stand beside him.
They waited.
Presently, a shoe sole scuffed the ground.
Devil's ears pricked up.
To the Phantom's jungle-trained «senses the approaching man's careful footfalls were very loud. He guessed the man to be large.
When the heavy set figure loomed opposite him, the Phantom leaped from the alcove.
"Hey!" exclaimed his shadow.
The Phantom locked one arm around the man's neck from behind. Pulling the man's arm behind him with his other hand, he shoved