There was only one other likely candidate. Or candidates.
The strangers.
The initial reports had indicated there were four strangers in the city: the giant, a man in buckskins, a big man in a dark blue outfit, and a runt in black. With the giant in the holding cell, the remaining three were the probable culprits.
But why?
What were the strangers up to?
Tiger stood and clamped his hands behind his back. He began to slowly pace around the table, immersed in speculation on the activities of the newcomers.
There was a faint scraping noise from underfoot.
Tiger came to the opposite end of the table and halted, staring at the hole in the floor. He had neglected to reset the trapdoor after triggering the mechanism to plunge the giant into the cell. The door, which was three feet by three feet, now hung down inside the shaft. He dropped to his knees and reached for the small metal ring in the center of the door, about to haul the door up, when he heard the odd scraping again.
What was this?
He lowered his face to the rim of the shaft and peered down. The shaft descended at an angle, and his view of the cell was limited to the middle of the floor. He caught sight of Blade and almost laughed aloud.
What resourcefulness!
The giant was erecting a mound of dirt!
Tiger instantly perceived the purpose behind Blade’s digging, and he grinned in admiration. How unfortunate the man had to die! He debated whether to close the trapdoor or spring a surprise on his clever guest.
The surprise, definitely.
Tiger stepped around to the rear of the shaft. He reached his right arm to the small of his back and clasped one of the pair of gold-handled daggers hidden in leather sheaths slanted under his wide black leather belt. The gold handle glistened in the light as he brought the 12-inch dagger around in front of him. He smiled wickedly. The giant was not the only one adept at the use of knives, as he was about to discover.
A few minutes elapsed.
What was taking the giant so long? Tiger wondered. Perhaps he had misjudged the man; maybe the giant was digging to China instead of trying to escape through the shaft! Tiger chuckled at his joke as voices sounded from the corridor.
Gar, Fabiana, and one other entered.
“Tiger!” Gar exclaimed. “Good news!”
The man with the white hair and his twin sister skirted the table and approached their leader.
Tiger was watching the man in black, a man of small stature. A runt.
“We’ve caught one of them,” Gar stated, pointing at the stranger.
“So I see,” Tiger said.
Gar halted five feet off. “Did Oakes return with the one he caught?”
“Yes. Long ago,” Tiger replied.
“We were detained,” Gar said. “We were attacked by gulls on the Montlake Bridge.”
“Did you lose many?” Tiger inquired. He noticed the man in black was standing near the table, his eyes on Fabiana.
“We lost eleven on the bridge,” Gar said, frowning. “Seven more were injured.”
“And the other two strangers?” Tiger inquired.
Gar shrugged. “We lost them, I’m afraid.”
“Did this one put up much of a fight?” Tiger questioned.
“A hell of a fight,” Gar replied.
Tiger stepped several feet to his left, examining the man in black. “And what is your name?”
“Rikki,” the man answered.
Tiger hefted the dagger in his right hand and glanced at Gar. “I’m confused, Captain Gar.”
“Sir?” Gar said.
“Something is amiss here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Tiger smiled at Fabiana. “You’ve been so quiet, my dear. Would you happen to know what I’m talking about?”
“No,” Fab responded quickly, averting her gaze.
Tiger looked at Gar. “Ordinarily, you are the epitome of precision. But when I just asked how many you lost, you specifically gave me the figure lost on the bridge. How unusual. Evidently, I must rephrase my question.”
His tone hardened. “How many did you lose, Captain Gar, on your mission? How many, all told?”
“All told?” Gar repeated meekly.
“Yes!” Tiger thundered. “You lost eleven on the bridge. How many did you lose capturing this man? Speak! Now!”
“Twenty-nine or thirty,” Gar mumbled.
“Twenty-nine or…!” Tiger could scarcely believe his hearing. He glared at the man in black, then at Gar. “Tell me this is your idea of a sick joke!”
“We tried our best,” Gar said in his defense.
“You tried your best!” Tiger repeated in a mounting rage. “Yet this man killed thirty of our brothers and—”
“Seventeen,” Rikki said softly.
Tiger spun toward the stranger. “What did you say?”
“I am responsible for slaying seventeen Sharks in the line of duty,” Rikki elaborated. “Perhaps a few more.”
“Oh. Only seventeen!” Tiger snapped. His anger was tempered by his amazement. What manner of men were these strangers? How could just one of them kill 17 Sharks?
“We tried to take them alive, like you wanted,” Gar noted.
“I told you to try and take them alive, if possible,” Tiger mentioned harshly. “I didn’t tell you to get yourselves killed in the process!”
“Where is Blade?” Rikki interjected.
Tiger glanced at the runt. The deadly runt. “What was that?”
“Where is Blade?” Rikki repeated his question. “My friend?”
Tiger looked down at Rikki’s hands, then turned to Gar. “What the hell is this? His hands aren’t even tied! I thought you said he’s your prisoner!”
“He is,” Gar responded.
“Then why aren’t his hands tied?”
“He couldn’t get away from us,” Gar said. “What difference did it make?”
Tiger placed his hands behind his back, fingering his dagger. He paced up to the trapdoor and peeked over the edge.
Perfect!
The giant was a third of the way up the shaft!
“We come in peace,” Rikki declared.
Tiger slowly pivoted, smiling broadly. “You come in peace?”
“Yes,” Rikki confirmed. “We came here after Manta. Gar told me you have opposed the mutant for years. We will help you defeat him.”
“How kind of you,” Tiger said courteously. “Your friend said the same thing.”
Rikki took a step forward. “You have talked to Blade?”
“Yes,” Tiger stated. “I didn’t know whether to believe him or not.”
“We are sincere,” Rikki assured the Shark leader.
Tiger smiled. “Well, in that case, I see no reason why you can’t be reunited with your friend. Come here.”
Rikki cautiously advanced. “Where is Blade?”
Tiger stepped back, nodding at the shaft. “Downstairs.”
Rikki saw the opening in the floor for the first time. His forehead creased as he walked up to the rim and crouched. “Blade? Are you down there?”
Blade’s deep voice bellowed back. “Rikki? Is that you?”
Rikki leaned over, staring down the shaft.
“Look out!” Blade shouted.
Tiger was already in motion. He swept his left leg up and in, catching the man in black in the rear of the head and knocking him off balance, causing him to fall forward.
Directly into the shaft.
Chapter Nineteen
“I can’t believe you really came.”