"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 320 - Reign of Terror" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

But then, suddenly, his hand would not descend. He was so surprised that he froze in the position he had
assumed. His one hand high in the air, the other clutching Ravvel's pajamas coat, he stood stock still.

An eerie laugh rolled through the room.

Ravvel moaned but didn't open his eyes.

The Shadow exerted a little more force and brought the man's arm backwards. It gave a little. That was
enough. The Shadow pulled hard and the roll of coins from the now flaccid hand fell to the floor.

Whipping his free arm around the man's neck The Shadow squeezed, choking off a call for help.

Ravvel dazedly wondered what was holding off the blow he was tensed for. He opened his eyes. The
sight was too incredible. He blinked his eyes, then opened them again. The man who had been attacking
him was being attacked in turn. A black caped man whose face was completely hidden in the shadow
cast by the edge of his broad black hat was wrenching the man's arm backwards.

Ravvel spun around. He had heard his bathroom door open. Slit eyes was coming back into the room.
Ravvel said, "Look out, here's another one!"

The black garbed man held his pose. He continued to apply pressure on the man's windpipe. The man
framed in the bathroom door moved as though balanced on springs. His hand whipped under his jacket.
When it came back a split second later it was heavy with a gun. He aimed it at Ravvel. He said, and his
voice was shrill, "Let him go or I shoot the sucker!"

Never had Ravvel seen anything like it. The black garbed man suddenly bent over. The man he had been
grappling with flew over his head. The human catapult flew straight at the slit eyed man.

His gun went off. He'd been too nervous. His shot was too new, he couldn't control his reflexes, the
bullet landed in the hurtling body.

When the man's body hit against the frame of the door he was dead. The Shadow had barely moved
after that lightning-like flash of action. His hand seemed to disappear and reappear. When it came back
into sight it was holding a .45.

For the first time The Shadow spoke. He said, "Get, behind me, Ravvel."
Scurrying to obey, Ravvel saw out of the corner of his eye that slit eyes was moving his gun to fire. There
was a double crack of thunder.

Ravvel spun around. Slit eyes' bullet had crashed into a picture in the wall. The Shadow's bullet had
smashed into slit eyes. Ravvel watched as the man seemed to crumple. His hands curled into his stomach
as though he were grabbing at a button. His fingers uncurled and the gun fell to the floor. He fell on top of
it. His arms were at his sides. For a second his fingers dug into the carpet. Then they too were
motionless.

The Shadow said, "Unfortunate."

Ravvel said, "What do you mean? They meant to kill me."