Max: All right, if that’s the best you can do. Connect me with Agent 94 in Berlin.
Operator: Hold on, pliz.
Max: I’m holding.
Male voice: Hello… 73 here.
Max: 73? This is 86. Is 94 there?
73: Oh, hi, that you, Max? Howsit?
Max: I’m in a little jam, 73. If 94 isn’t there, maybe you can help me. I’m locked in a limousine 73 (breaking in): Max, I’m sorry, I’m not authorized to take any action. You know that. If I had a higher number… but, you know the rules.
Max: Yes, I know. That’s why I asked for 94. Where is he, by the way?
73: He’s on detached duty, Max. Let’s see… right now, at this minute, if my calculations are correct, he ought to be standing outside a phone booth on Macdougal Street in the Village.
Max: All right, 73, then do this for me, will you? Will you put in a call to that phone booth? And when 94 answers, will you please ask him to walk over here to this limousine and let us out?
73: I guess I could do that.
Max: Thank you. I’ll do the same for you some day.
73: So long, Max.
Max: So long, 73.
Max hung up. “You just saw history being made,” he said. “In a sense, I have just contacted a telephone booth ten feet away by orbiting satellite. Something that we were completely unable to accomplish by simply knocking on the window. It revives one’s faith, doesn’t it?”
“I guess so,” Blossom said weakly.
A moment later they saw the man enter the telephone booth. He picked up the receiver, listened, then looked toward the limousine. After another moment, he hung up, left the booth, and walked to the car.
“86?” he said, opening the door.
“94-glad to know you,” Max said. “This is Miss Blossom Rose, and this is the celebrated canine secret agent, K-13-also known as Fang.”
94 smiled. “Hi.”
“How do you do,” Blossom said. “Are you by any chance single?”
94 shook his head. “There’s a Mrs. 94,” he said. “Or, as I like to call her, 36-22-36.”
“If you’ll excuse us,” Max said to 94. “We’re on a mission in which the fate of the entire civilized world is involved.”
“Sure, no apology necessary,” 94 said. “I’m on my way to another assignment, anyway. See you around.”
As 94 departed, Max said to Blossom. “Now, back to duty.”
But Blossom was peering wistfully after 94. “Such a nice-looking fellow,” she said. “It’s a shame he’s so married-three women yet!”
“Yes, and all of them with low numbers,” Max said. “Without seniority, you can’t get anywhere in this business.”
Max, Blossom and Fang headed for the spot where Max had parked his car. On the way, Max said, “Fortunately, I got the license number of that cab in which Fred was abducted. Now, it’s merely a matter of finding the cab and the driver and determining where he took the occupants. I think from here on out it’s going to be clear sailing.”
“I hope we’re not too late,” Blossom said fretfully. “By the time we find that cab driver, that FLAG agent may have secreted Fred out of the country.”
“Hmmmm… you’re right,” Max said. “I better contact the Chief and have him post agents at all the docks and airports and bus stations.” He halted and removed his shoe, then spoke into it:
Max: Chief… this is 86.
Chief: Good work, Max. Now, bring him in, and we’ll turn him over to the Defense Department boys. They’re right here, waiting.
Max: That wasn’t exactly what I called to tell you, Chief. There’s going to be a slight delay. As of the moment, Fred is in the hands of a FLAG agent. It’s only a temporary condition, you understand. But, just to be on the safe side, I think you’d better post guards at all the airports, steamship lines and bus terminals.
Chief: Max… be honest with me, now… is there any possibility of a hitch in this case?
Max: I can’t see any, Chief. I have the license number of the cab in which Fred was robotnapped. It looks like clear sailing to me. The only- Excuse me, Chief. I have to hang up now. From where I’m standing, I can see my car. And a police truck is about to tow it away. I’ll check back later.
Max hung up, and he and Blossom and Fang hurried on to where his car was parked. The driver of the police tow truck was attaching a chain to the front bumper.
“Just a minute there,” Max said. “What seems to be the trouble?”
“You’re parked in a tow-away zone, Mac.”
“I see. Would it make any difference if I told you that my parking here was done in the interests of the entire civilized world?”
“Yeah. Not only would I tow away your car, I’d call a squad car and have ’em pick you up. Anybody with a story like that would have to have a screw loose.”
“In that case, I won’t mention it,” Max said. “Do you mind if we ride to the station with you in the car?”
“Be my guest.”
Max, Blossom and Fang got into Max’s car.
The tow truck driver got into the cab of his truck and started up, pulling Max’s car along the street.
“Now, we’ll never find Fred!” Blossom moaned.
“Patience,” Max said. “Open the glove compartment and hand me one of those 20 mm. shells.”
“No! You can’t shoot that truck!”
“You didn’t let me finish. What I was going to say was, hand me one of those 20 mm. shells marked ‘B.’ ”
“What does that mean?”
“ ‘B’ is for ‘Blank.’ ”
“Oh.” She opened the glove compartment. “All of these seems to be marked ‘Z.’ What does that mean?”
“ ‘Z’ stands for ‘Zoweee!’ Those are the live ones.”
“Oh… here’s a ‘B.’ ” She handed the shell to Max,
He slipped it into the chamber. “Fasten all seat belts,” he said.
“Rorff!”
“Then lie down on the floor,” Max said.
Max fired the cannon. There was a tremendous explosion. The car hurtled backwards, ripping free of the tow truck. As it zoomed, like a shot, to the rear, Max steered, looking out the back window. The car finally came to a halt six blocks from where the cannon had been fired.
“Simple as pie,” Max smiled. “From here on out it ought to be clear-”
Blossom had stuffed her fingers in her ears.
7
A few minutes later they reached the cab company’s main garage. The superintendent there confirmed that the license number belonged to one of the company’s cabs.
“And where would we find the driver?” Max asked.
The superintendent pulled at his chin. “Ya want me to pinpoint it?”
“As closely as you can.”
“Well, the best I could say is, he’s somewheres between the Hudson River and the East River, and between the Battery and Yonkers.”
“In other words, somewhere on Manhattan Island.”
“Yeah. Unless, of course, he got a fare for, say, Queens or Brooklyn or Staten Island or maybe over in Jersey. If you’re gonna pin me down, I’ll say definitely he’s probably somewheres east of the Rocky Mountains.”
“That may make it a little difficult,” Max said tautly. “Let me ask you this: Will he be reporting in soon?”
“Oh, yeah, he calls in.”
“Then perhaps the dispatcher has heard from him?”
“Yeah, you can talk to him.”
They went to the dispatcher’s office.
“Yeah, I talked to him just a couple seconds ago,” he said.
“Could you tell me exactly where he was at the last report?” Max said.
“Sure. He was standin’ right where you’re standin’ now.”
Max turned to Blossom. “We’re narrowing it down,” he said. Then, to the dispatcher, he said, “Would you have any idea where he is at this exact moment?”
“Try the lunch counter down the block,” the dispatcher said. “His name is Harry.”
They found Harry where the dispatcher suggested that he might be. He was a large, smiling man. “Whatcha want?” he said.
“Harry,” Max said, “I want you to think about this and answer it carefully. The fate of the entire civilized world may depend on your reply.”