Chapter 17 Fugitives

Doc Savage raced over the hilly terrain of the island, through the darkness, toward the sounds of gunfire. He left no more trace of his passing--visible or audible--than would a great jungle cat. The bronze man was undetectable in the blackness of the night. Suddenly--too suddenly--there was quiet. The gunfire had ceased. Doc feared the worst. Although his machine pistols were superior to any handgun manufactured in its day, it couldn't always overcome vastly superior odds--one man was still just one man. The bronze man, filled with concern, almost stumbled over the fallen body of one of Medusa's gunsels. He knelt, briefly examined the man, and found he had been wounded with a mercy bullet. Knowing that Renny was probably nearby, Doc Savage made a series of grunts and coughs which gave the general impression that he was in pain, perhaps near death. In reality, he was calling out to his aide in the ancient language of the Mayans, which, outside of the inhabitants of a secret valley in Central America, probably no one in the world but those in his small band of adventurers spoke. The bronze man and his associates had discovered the valley during one of their first adventures together, almost a decade earlier. Doc got no reply. The man of bronze waited a few moments, then moved on, repeating the call every few hundred feet, careful that none of Medusa's gang were within sight as he did so. He was counting on the idea that his calls would be mistaken by any of the gang as the sounds of an injured member, so they would not, therefore, automatically throw lead in his direction. On the third attempt, the giant Renwick answered. "They found us, Doc," called out the big engineer, using the Mayan language. "I sent Lucky away, then I got hit. I can't hold my pistol in my right hand, but otherwise it doesn't seem to be too bad." Doc Savage zeroed in on the sound of his aide's voice, finding Renny a few seconds after he had begun speaking. Both had been careful not to call out too loudly. The bronze man crept up on the big-fisted engineer with such quietness that Doc surprised him. He smiled grimly at Doc Savage's arrival. Renny knew that they were in a bad spot. "I think I got all the gunmen near me, Doc," Renny explained, his voice the proverbial dull roar. "It's been quiet for the last few minutes." The bronze man donned the dark goggles once again, and examined the wound. Renny had wound his tie around his arm, creating a makeshift tourniquet. He'd had enough experience in the field to know not to make it too tight. Doc removed the tie. The wound did not appear to be too serious. "Where is Lucky?" the bronze man asked. "I don't know, Doc," answered big Renwick. "I had trouble enough getting rid of him. He wanted to stay with me after Medusa's men found us." There was a trace of admiration in the engineer's rumbling voice. "Let us hope he had sense enough to find a safe place to hide," Doc said. He withdrew a small phial from his vest, and applied the contents to Renny's scarlet wound, then carefully re-wrapped it with the tie. Doc released the big-fisted engineer's arm. "There should be no permanent damage, Renny. It's little more than a flesh wound. The bullet caught some cartilage, weakening the grip in your hand. I've cleaned it, but I'd like to get a another look at it under better conditions." The bronze man, bathing the area in infra-red rays from the lantern, peered into the black night. "We have lost the advantage of surprise," Doc stated, without seeming regret. "A retreat may be in order. It will not take Medusa long to locate us, with the unconscious bodies in the area." Doc Savage stood, then pulled the giant engineer to his feet as though he were a child. He briskly walked away, leading the way back to the beach where the collapsible boat was hidden. The two giants found the crest of the hill above the beach without difficulty. Doc's all-metal tri-motor lay offshore. Neither of the two men needed the infra-rays spraying from the lantern to see the collapsible boat at the plane--filled with men wielding flashlights and guns. Medusa's men had discovered Doc's plane! "Doc," big Renny began. The bronze man was silent as the small boat left the three-motored plane. He raced along the crest of the hill, went down the gentle slope, the big engineer close behind. Abruptly, Doc was not in front of Renny. The infra-rays had disappeared as well. The big-fisted engineer whipped off his dark goggles, before he stumbled in the coal blackness. "Here," said the bronze man's disembodied voice. Renny Renwick then realized what had happened--Doc Savage had found and entered a small cave. The engineer squeezed into the hole, which was barely large enough to accomodate his giant frame. The interior was not much bigger, and Renny and Doc--both large men--were cramped in the small space. "Huh," grunted the big engineer, eyeing the tiny cave. "You found this in a hurry." "I spotted it when we landed at the beach earlier," Doc explained quietly. "It should serve its purpose, at least temporarily." The two of them watched as the small boat approached the shore. The gunsels disembarked the tiny craft, the riddled it with bullets, destroying it. The unpleasant rattle of gunfire assaulted the two men in the small cave, the accoustics there punctuating the seriousness of the deed. The big engineer smiled grimly at Doc Savage. They watched the gunmen--resembling ants--leave the beach. They swarmed over the sand, cold beams of light playing over the beach and slope as the gunsels re-traced their path back up the hill toward Medusa's camp. An orange glow flared out on the sea. The bronze man and his aide reflexively turned toward the light. Suddenly Doc's plane burst into flames, which quickly engulfed the entire ship.

The Stone Death Written By: Jeff Deischer Dedicated to "Kenneth Robeson X" for his encouragement. The Stone Man is a work of fan fiction. Doc Savage is © Conde Nast Back to: Top of Page Index Page Home Page