Fan Fiction: Crossovers
In the Midst of Shadows
by Greg Daulton
Chapter 2
The next afternoon lead to scorching temperatures, something that Detroit wasn't too familiar with. Britt Reid, owner and publisher of the city's leading newspaper, The Daily Sentinel, sat in his large office on the 5th floor, involved in a meeting with two very young, impressive looking detectives from the 52nd precinct.
"Mr. Reid," a clean-cut gentleman in an overcoat started. "The reason we're here is to try to persuade you, as well as every other newspaper in the city to stop publishing stories about these jewel heists."
"Are you two gentlemen on the case?" Reid questioned.
"Well no, we were assigned to go 'round to the papers. The press is mucking up the investigation. Now, I'm sure you understand the gravity of the situation," the second detective continued.
"Unlike many newsman, I'm not going to stand in the way of investigation. I'll stop printing things about the jewel thefts," Reid decided. "Provided that you leave. You better hurry to; one of my reporters, a Mr. Axford, is a bit testy with men who presume to tell my paper what can be published here. Sorry gentlemen, but we are a very busy paper."
"Oh yes Sir. We know Mike. He comes to the station all the time. Thank you Mr. Reid."
"Good day to you, gentlemen."
"Goodbye Sir," the second detective said, as the two men hastily left the office.
Britt Reid sat back in his luxurious office chair, then pressed the intercom, ringing for Lenore Case, his secretary. "Miss Case, tell Gunnigan to scrap all stories involving the jewel heists. And hold all of my calls. I'm going out for the rest of the day."
"Yes Sir Mr. Reid," the secretary responded.
Knowing that his assistant editor Gunnigan would handle everything else for the day, the newspaper man leapt from his chair, grabbed his overcoat and exited his office. As he rode the elevator down, he wondered where these jewelers would strike next. As his vigilant alter ego the Green Hornet, he had been tracking them for nearly three months. Departing from the elevator, he quickly exited The Daily Sentinel building. Reaching a side street, he noticed Kato, his faithful Philippino valet, parked with Reid's car, a shiny beige Packard, directly behind the Sentinel. As Reid got in, he greeted Kato and the car sped away.
That night, Britt Reid and Kato were in Reid's apartment, going over what they knew about the jewel heist. Normally the Green Hornet infiltrated a crook's mad scheme, by posing as a criminal and muscling in on the action. But these jewel thieves were different. They were taking great pains to ensure that no one would get involved in their operation. All the Hornet had been able to do so far was spy on these heist-men.
The two of them raced into Reid's bedroom and opened his closet door. Pulling a lever behind a tie rack, the wall in the back of the closet collapsed, revealing a secret passage. The two men entered and went down a narrow, dimly lit hall that lead to a building behind Britt Reid's apartment. This building was on the back of a street and appeared deserted, but actually this building housed the Black Beauty, streamlined car of the Green Hornet, as well as the Hornet's costume and arsenal. The only entrance to the place was through the tunnel that Reid and Kato had installed from the back of his closet.
Reid quickly changed into a dark suit and green trench coat, and then mounted a mask that covered the lower half of his face like some diabolical surgeon. Quickly putting on a pair of black gloves, he topped the ensemble with a green fedora. Kato adorned his chauffeur's suit and gentleman's cap, and then placed his black mask over his eyes. The Green Hornet grabbed his signature gas gun and the pair entered the specially modified, black limousine, the Black Beauty. Kato took to the wheel as the Hornet rode shotgun and as the marvelous machine came to a roar, it shot out of a secret access route that opened only at the sound of a hornet-like buzz made by the Black Beauty's defective car horn.
As the Black Beauty exited from the wall of a vacant alleyway, behind the supposedly abandoned building, the Green Hornet checked his watch. The time was eight-thirty. It was just beginning to get dark, so he knew there was still time to watch out for those jewel thieves. Minutes later, the car raced through downtown Detroit and turned off of 3rd and Water Streets, the last known hideout of these jewel thieves. The actual hideout was on a dirty street with decrepit buildings and dilapidated signs. Suddenly the car came to a complete stop as Kato parked on the side of the street. As the two men exited the Black Beauty, each hoped that this hideout was still in use, for it had been sometime since the Hornet and his aid had checked there.
They came upon the entrance of the place. A large boarded up door with a "KEEP OUT" sign, indicated that the place was condemned. The Hornet snapped his fingers and, with great speed and precision, Kato kicked in the entrance. As the Hornet entered the place, his eyes quickly adjusted to complete darkness. The place was completely abandoned. Pulling a flashlight from his coat pocket, the Hornet began looking for clues. He and Kato moved about the place, looking for something, anything that might provide a hint to the jewel gang's current whereabouts.
As Kato moved to the center of the hideout, a large room lined with dusty furniture and old file cabinets, he spotted instantly something. A nightmarish form, almost invisible, in a long black shroud and wide brimmed fedora stood rummaging through old files and documents. Perhaps the mysterious figure was doing his own investigation into these recent jewel heist.
Kato stared intently, careful not to alert the stranger of his presence. Unexpectedly and as fast as lightening, the figure turned, staring at Kato with almost wicked eyes. Kato looked on in surprise as sudden laughter emanated from all around the room.
"Who are you?" Kato asked as the laughter continued. "What business do you have here?"
As the laughter subsided, the sinister man replied, "I might ask you the same question."
Without warning, the Hornet appeared behind Kato. Shifting quickly in front of his aid, he pulled the gas gun, aiming it at the figure in the corner.
"Who are you?" the Hornet questioned loudly. "Are you with the jewel thieves?" He waited for an answer but the mysterious figure remained quiet.
"Answer me," the Hornet demanded, advancing toward the corner, then pulling the trigger.
Instantly, a thick green smog filled the room, almost illuminating the darkness. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the knockout gas was gone. But to the Hornet and Kato's surprise, so was the mysterious stranger. He had vanished instantly. The Hornet and Kato looked perplexedly at each other, because there was no way this guy could've gotten past them. They blocked the only entrance into the room and the stranger seemingly evaporated as easily as the gas from the Hornet's gun.
The two men began a search for the mysterious stranger, which eventually turned cold. They continued looking for clues in every room of the old hideout, but found nothing so they decided to leave.
As they arrived back to the street, the Hornet and Kato reentered the Black Beauty. As Kato pulled away from the street, en route to home, he and the Hornet began talking.
"You know something Kato, that guy looked a bit frightening. I honestly don't know what to make of him."
"You think he's with the jewel gang?" Kato asked.
"I don't know. We can't be sure of who he is or why he was there for that matter. But enough about that Kato, the jewel gang has moved."
"It would seem so," Kato replied, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Wait a minute, I just had a disturbing thought. What if that strange fellow we just saw made off with the only clues that the gang left behind?"
"It would make sense Sir. When I first saw him, he was reading something. Maybe he got the only clues."
"If he did, then he must have some stake in this. We have to be careful," the Hornet declared, as the long black car suddenly picked up speed.
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