T WAS THE END OF ANOTHER LONG DAY FOR THE WORKFORCE AT A BUSY WARTIME DOCKYARD. MOST WERE EAGER TO GET HOME, BUT ONE MAN HAD OTHER PLANS.
I
THE TARGET’S GETTING ON HIS BICYCLE, COMMANDER.
PAYDAY AT LAST.
STORY ALAN HEBDEN ART OLIVERA COVER IAN KENNEDY
4 BEHIND AN ANONYMOUS OFFICE WINDOW OVERLOOKING THE DOCK GATES, A SURVEILLANCE TEAM HAD SET UP SHOP. IN CHARGE WAS THE LEGENDARY COMMANDER BARTLETT OF THE SPECIAL BRANCH. HE HAS THE STOLEN BLUEPRINTS IN HIS GAS MASK CASE, COMMANDER.
ALERT ALL UNITS. WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE HIM. HE’S GOING TO LEAD US TO THE NAZI SPY BEHIND THIS OPERATION.
THE MAN CYCLED ACROSS TOWN UNTIL HE REACHED A GARAGE BENEATH A RAILWAY ARCH. CHECKING THAT THE COAST WAS CLEAR HE GAVE A PRE-ARRANGED KNOCK ON THE DOOR.
TWO QUICK KNOCKS, TWO SPACED KNOCKS, TWO MORE QUICK KNOCKS. THEN I’M GOING TO EARN MORE MONEY THAN I’D MAKE IN FIVE YEARS AT THE DOCKYARD.
5 THE SPY WAS WAITING INSIDE THE GARAGE, IMPATIENT TO GET HIS HANDS ON WHAT THE DOCKYARD WORKER WAS BRINGING HIM. YOU HAVE THE BLUEPRINTS, MY FRIEND?
HERE THEY ARE, BUT LET’S SEE THE PAYMENT FIRST.
AS THE TWO THUGS ACCOMPANYING THE SPY PULLED OUT GUNS, THE DOCKYARD WORKER REALISED TOO LATE THAT ESPIONAGE WAS NOT ONLY A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS, IT WAS ALSO A DEADLY ONE.
SHOW THE FOOL HIS PAYMENT. ONE BULLET OR TWO, MY FRIEND!
I...I DON’T...
6 BOTH THUGS FIRED THEIR PISTOLS.
NO... UUURGH!
TWO BULLETS THEN, BUT STILL CHEAP AT THE PRICE!
AN INSTANT LATER THE GARAGE DOOR WAS CAVED IN BY A SPEEDING POLICE CAR FITTED WITH AN ARMOURED PLATE AT THE FRONT. HUH?
POLICE! DROP YOUR GUNS! TEUFEL! IT’S TIME TO GET OUT.
7 THE THUGS REACTED MORE SLOWLY THAN THEIR MASTER AND PAID THE PRICE, GOING DOWN IN A HAIL OF BULLETS. BUT BARTLETT WASN’T CONCERNED ABOUT THEM, HE WANTED THE AGENT.
UURRGH!
HE’S GETTING AWAY! STOP HIM!
THE SPY, HOWEVER, WAS PREPARED FOR A FAST GETAWAY. WAITING IN AN ALLEY OUTSIDE WAS A THIRD ACCOMPLICE SITTING ASTRIDE A POWERFUL MOTORBIKE. IN SECONDS, THE SPY LEAPT ON THE BACK AND THE PAIR ROARED AWAY. BARTLETT DIDN’T MINCE HIS WORDS.
THIS IS A DISASTER! SEAL OFF THE TOWN!
8 AS IT HAPPENED, THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF BARTLETT‘S TEAM, ARNIE KERSHAW, HAD BEEN STATIONED ON A NEARBY ROOF FROM WHERE HE COULD SEE THE MOTORCYCLE SPEEDING THROUGH THE MAZE OF ALLEYS BEYOND.
THE SPY’S GETTING AWAY. I’VE GOT TO STOP THAT BIKE REACHING THE OPEN ROAD.
WITHOUT HESITATION ARNIE SPRINTED ACROSS THE ROOF AND LEAPT ACROSS TO THE ADJOINING BUILDING. GERONIMO!
9 THE NEXT BUILDING WAS A LARGE WAREHOUSE AT THE FRONT OF WHICH A HOIST WAS HAULING UP SUPPLIES. AGAIN ARNIE DIDN’T HESITATE, THROWING HIMSELF AT THE HOIST’S ROPE. GOT IT!
OI, YOU FLAMIN’ MANIAC!
THE YOUNG AGENT SWUNG DOWN TO THE GROUND LIKE AN URBAN TARZAN. A-HA, THAT BUS!
10 THE DRIVER AND CONDUCTOR HAD BEEN ENJOYING A TEA BREAK IN THEIR SHELTER WHEN ARNIE MADE FOR THE DRIVER’S CAB.
TIME’S RUNNING OUT.
WHAT THE DEVIL DOES HE THINK HE’S DOING?
THE CREW WERE TOO LATE TO STOP THE FLYING AGENT. THE BUS’S ENGINE ROARED INTO LIFE AND IT SPED AWAY LEAVING THEM GAPING.
HE’S NICKED THE FLIPPIN’ BUS! CALL THE ROZZERS!