CHAPTER XII
Kidnapped
As a dark colored cab stopped in front of the Nichols residence, Pennyran to the curbing before the driver could alight.
"You were sent here to take me to my father?" she asked.
"Yes, Miss."
The driver kept his head lowered so that Penny could not see his faceclearly, but she was too troubled to notice anything wrong.
"Is Father badly hurt?" she questioned anxiously.
"I can't tell you, Miss. I was only told to come here for you."
The driver opened the door, and Penny stepped into the car. They spedaway.
Presently Penny noticed that the taxi man seemed to be avoiding themain streets of the city. She thought little of it until she chancedto catch a glimpse of the driver's face in the mirror. She had neverviewed such a hardened countenance. The man appeared to be watchingher every move. It gave her a sudden chill.
"Where is my father?" she questioned abruptly.
"At a house out in the country," the driver returned gruffly.
"I didn't even know that he had left the city," Penny saidsuspiciously. "Tell me, how was he injured?"
"I don't know any of the details. You'll have to wait until you getthere."
Penny leaned back against the cushions, to all appearances, reassured.Actually, she was terrified. The conviction was steadily growing inher mind that she had been the victim of treachery. She was almostcertain that she was being kidnapped. How decidedly stupid she hadbeen to walk into such a trap!
Penny felt actually sick as she considered the possible consequence offalling into the hands of the Molberg gang. It was not for herselfthat she feared but for her father. She knew him well enough torealize that he would sacrifice everything to be assured of her safety.
"If I let on that I suspect something is wrong it will only put thedriver on his guard," she thought. "My best chance is to act innocentand watch for an opportunity to jump out of the car."
Already they were speeding along a dark, country road. On either side,the highway was lined with tall maples and oak trees. Houses were fewand far between.
Penny tried to make careful mental note of the route they were takingfrom the city. It was difficult to distinguish objects for they weretraveling rapidly.
As they turned into a bumpy, winding narrow road which led up a steephill, Penny's uneasiness increased. From the manner in which thedriver surveyed the roadside, she guessed that the wild ride was nearlyended.
"It's now or never," she told herself grimly.
The car had slowed down for the hill. Watching her chance, Penny madea sudden dive for the door. It was locked.
She located the catch, but not until the driver had managed to halt thecar. With an enraged snarl he caught her roughly by the arm just asshe flung open the door.
Penny wriggled from his grasp and started to run down the road.
"Stop or I'll shoot!" the driver shouted furiously.
Penny paid no heed. She raced as fast as she could go down the hill.
The driver, an agile man despite his heavy build, took up the pursuit.Penny could hear his feet pounding on the hard road behind her. He wasgaining.
Her breath began to come with increasing difficulty. She could run nofaster.
At the foot of the hill Penny noticed an automobile without headlights.She was sure it had not been parked there a few minutes earlier whenthe cab had passed. Had some of Rap Molberg's men followed the taxi?In that event, she was running straight into another trap.
Penny had no choice but to continue toward the waiting automobile. Butas three men sprang from behind it with drawn revolvers, her heart sankwithin her. Her brave attempt at escape must end in failure.
A stone lay in the road. Penny did not see it. She stumbled, and,completely exhausted, fell face downward into the dirt.
"Stay where you are!" a cool voice ordered. "Don't move!"
She remained as she was, prone upon the ground. A revolver barked.There was a flash of fire dangerously close by. An answering bulletfrom the opposite direction whizzed over her head.
The three men moved cautiously up the hill. They had their quarrycovered.
"Drop your gun!" came the sharp order.
The taxi driver mutely obeyed. As handcuffs were snapped over hiswrists, Penny hurried forward to view her rescuers. One of the men sheinstantly recognized as a detective employed by her father; the othertwo she had never before seen.
"How did you get here?" she gasped.
"We've been trailing you all day," the investigator explained as hedeftly searched his prisoner for concealed weapons. "The entire weekfor that matter. Your father's orders."
"You mean he's had me shadowed?" Penny demanded indignantly.
"Mr. Nichols was afraid something like this might be attempted."
"I guess it was lucky for me that I was trailed," Penny acknowledgedgratefully. "Otherwise, I'd have been kidnapped."
She watched as the prisoner was led to the waiting car.
"Do you know who he is?" she asked a detective.
"Looks like Angel Face Myers, one of Molberg's boys. Can't be sure'till we've mugged and finger-printed him at the station."
The three men from the Nichols Agency plied the prisoner with sharpquestions. He maintained a sullen silence.
"I'd guess he was taking Miss Nichols to that abandoned house at thetop of the hill," one of the detectives surmised shrewdly. "I'll stayhere and guard the prisoner while you fellows investigate the place.Don't let anyone get away from you."
The other two detectives disappeared into the darkness. Twenty minuteslater they returned to report that they had found no one at the oldhouse, although there was evidence of a hurried departure. The shotspreviously fired by the detectives had served as a warning.
Riding back to the city with the handcuffed prisoner, Penny wonderedhow faithfully her father's investigators had followed her movements ofthe evening. Had they noted her call at the Davis home or the visitshe and Susan had paid to the Hamilton building?
"I suppose I've been trailed everywhere to-night," she venturedconversationally.
"You almost gave us the slip," one of the detectives told her with asmile. "In fact, you did for awhile."
"When was that?"
"Right after you left the library."
"You turned off somewhere and we lost you for a time. Didn't locateyou again until you turned up at your own home."
Penny was relieved. The detectives could not possibly be aware of thesecret entrance into the Hamilton Plant. She would still be the firstto report the discovery to her father.
The detectives dropped Penny at her own home after explaining that itmight be necessary for her to appear in court later on to identify theprisoner.
"I'll be very glad to do it," Penny promised.
As she ran up the front steps the door was flung open and Mrs. Galluprushed out to meet her. She flung her arms about the girl.
"Penny!" she cried tremulously. "How thankful I am that you are safe!Your father came home fifteen minutes ago. Then we knew that thetelephone call was a fake."
"Where is Dad now?"
"He started for the police station."
"Then I guess he'll learn the truth in a few minutes if he's stillthere."
"Tell me what happened, Penny."
In the midst of the tale, a car was heard on the driveway, and a minutelater Mr. Nichols entered the house. Although he was never inclined tobe demonstrative, the detective clasped his daughter in his arms andPenny noticed that his hands trembled slightly.
"I've just heard the entire story at the police station," he told her."You gave me a terrific scare, Penny."
"I gave myself one, too. If it hadn't been for your men who shadowedme, I'm afraid I'd never have returned to tell the tale."
"I doubt that the gangsters would have actually harmed you, but theywould have used you as a weapon to strike back at me. I am sorry abo
uthaving you trailed, Penny, but you understand my position. I wasafraid of this very thing."
"It's all right," Penny smiled. "Only your men aren't so clever atkeeping me in sight. I unintentionally gave them the slip earlier inthe evening."
Mrs. Gallup had gone to the kitchen to prepare sandwiches and an iceddrink. Taking advantage of her absence, Penny gave a detailed reportof her visit to the Hamilton Plant. At first her father listenedalmost incredulously.
"It sounds fantastic, Penny. And yet, it's just the sort of trickerywhich would appeal to Rap Molberg. You say the door is operated bymeans of a photo-electric cell?"
"That's what I think. At least when the beam of my light struck acertain spot on the wall, the door opened."
Mr. Nichols arose and paced rapidly back and forth across the floor.
"I'm going to take you into my confidence, Penny," he said quietly."For days my men have been circling in on Rap and his gang. We'velocated one of their hideouts, and we're raiding the place tomorrownight. It now seems advisable to surround the Hamilton buildingsimultaneously. Then there will be no chance that any of the crookscan use the underground ramp to make a get-away."
"Will the police make the raid?" Penny inquired curiously.
"Yes and no. So far I have taken only one man into my confidence."
"And who is that?"
"Jerome Davis."
"I was at his house this evening," Penny announced. "A threateningnote was thrown through the window while I was there."
She repeated the contents of the message.
"No doubt it came from the Molberg gang," her father said. "They aredoing everything in their power to intimidate Jerome Davis. But Ibelieve he is a man who can be trusted. Tomorrow night at eleveno'clock he will be ready with a picked group of policemen. No one buthimself will know any of the details of the raid until it is actuallyon. In that way there will be almost no danger of the informationleaking out."
"Where is this other hideout which is to be raided?"
"I can't tell you that. It isn't that I don't trust you, but sometimesan unguarded word will destroy the work of weeks."
"I guess it's just as well I don't know too much about it ahead oftime," Penny agreed.
The conversation was checked as Mrs. Gallup came from the kitchen witha tray of sandwiches and a tall pitcher of fruit juice. For a timePenny and her father confined their talk to less vital subjects. Butwhen the housekeeper had gone from the room again, Mr. Nichols took upthe matter where it had been dropped.
"If my raids tomorrow night are successful, it will end the case. Wemay need you, Penny, to show the officers how to get into the Hamiltonbuilding."
"I'd like to help," she assured him eagerly.
"Good," Mr. Nichols said warmly as he picked up the evening paper."Until the appointed hour, don't go near the Plant. And mind, not aword of this to anyone."