head. He put his hand inside his shirt, pulled out a bomb and heaved it at the cabin. Fenner followed the bomb in flight, then flattened himself in the sand. He had a horrible feeling that the bomb would fall on his head.
The bomb struck the cabin and exploded with a tearing, ripping noise. A long flash lit up the sky and then the roof of the cabin caught on fire. Scalfoni came down fast without drawing any more shooting. Bent double, he ran past the cabin and joined Fenner behind the drum.
“Jeeze!” he said excitedly. “They work! What a night! I wouldn’t’ve missed this for all the janes in the world.”
Fenner said, “Watch out! They’ll be coming out.”
Scalfoni said, “Lemme give ’em just one more. Just one more to make up their mind for them.”
Fenner said, “Sure, enjoy yourself.”
Scalfoni slung the bomb into the open doorway. The explosion that followed was so violent that although they were crouching down behind the drum, they both suffered a little from the concussion.
A moment later someone screamed, “I’m done. I’m comin’ out. Don’t do any more—don’t do any more.”
Fenner didn’t move. “Come on out, with your mitts high.”
A man came staggering out of the blazing cabin. His face and hands were cut with flying glass, and his clothes were almost all torn off. He stood swaying in the flickering light of the flames, and Fenner saw that it was Miller. He came out from behind the drum, his lips just off his teeth.
Schaife came running up, his thin face alight with excitement. “Any more of them?” he asked.
Miller said, “The others are dead—don’t touch me, mister.”
Fenner reached out and grabbed him by his tattered shirt. “I thought I settled your little hash a while back,” he said unpleasantly.
Miller gave at the knees when he recognized Fenner. “For God’s sake, don’t start on me!” he blubbered.
Fenner curled him with his free hand. “Who else’s in there?” he said. “Come on, canary, sing!”
Miller stood trembling and shuddering. “There ain’t any more,” he whined. “They’re all dead.”
Alex came running up. Fenner said to him, “Take care of this guy. Treat him nicely. He’s had a nasty shock.”
Alex said, “Yeah?” swung his fist and knocked Miller down, then he booted him hard.
Fenner said, “Hey! Don’t get too tough. I want to talk with that punk.”
Alex said, “That’s all right. I’ll have him in the right frame of mind.” He went on booting Miller.
Fenner left them and went down the wall towards the boats. Scalfoni was waiting for orders.
Fenner said, “Scuttle ’em. Keep one. We’ll go round the island an’ pick Kemerinski up. It’ll save walkin’.”
He went back to Miller, who had dragged himself off the ground and was imploring Alex to let him alone. Fenner told Alex to go and help Scalfoni. Fenner said to Miller, “I told your little louse what would happen. This is only the start of it. Where’s Thayler?”
Miller didn’t say anything. His head was sunk on his great chest and he made a strangled sobbing noise. Fenner rammed the Thompson into his ribs. “Where’s Thayler?” he repeated. “Talk, you punk, or I’ll spread your insides.”
Miller said, “He don’t come here. Honest to God, I don’t know where he is.”
Fenner showed his teeth. “We’ll see about that,” he said.
Scalfoni came running up. “They’re fillin’,” he said. “Suppose I toss in a few bombs to make sure.”
Fenner said, “Why not?”
A few minutes later the shattering roar of the bombs exploding filled the silent harbor, and clouds of dense black smoke drifted from the boats.
Fenner said to Miller, “Come on, punk, you’re going for a ride.” He had to shove Miller in front of him at the end of the Thompson. Miller was so terrified that he could hardly walk. He kept on mumbling, “Don’t give it to me. I want to live, mister, I want to live.”
The others were already in the boat waiting for them.
When they got on board, Schaife started the engine. “Gee!” he said. This is the grandest night’s work I’ve ever done. I never thought we’d get away with it.”
Fenner groped for a cigarette and lit it. “The fun’ll start as soon as Carlos hears about it,” he remarked. “I said shock tactics would succeed and they have. Now Carlos knows what he’s up against, the rest isn’t going to be so easy.”
They ran the boat round the island and signaled to Kemerinski, who started up his boat and joined them outside the harbor. They all got into Kemerinski’s boat, Alex dragging Miller along with him. Scalfoni was the last to leave and, before he did so, he opened the cocks and scuttled the boat.
As he climbed on board Kemerinski’s boat he said, “I guess it’s tough sinkin’ these boats. I could have done with one of them myself.”
Fenner said, “I thought of that, but Carlos still has a fair size gang, an’ he’d have got them back. This is the only way.”
As Kemerinski headed the boat out to sea he wanted to know what had happened. “I heard the uproar,” he said excitedly. “It certainly got the village steamed up. They guessed what was goin’ on, and no one had the guts to go an’ watch the fun.”
Fenner said to Alex, “Bring the punk into the cabin. I want to talk to him.”
Alex said, “Sure,” and brought Miller down into the small brightly lit cabin.
Miller stood shivering, staring at Fenner with bloodshot eyes.
Fenner said, “Here’s your chance, canary. You talk and you’ll survive. Where can I find Thayler?”
Miller shook his head. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I swear I don’t know.”
Fenner looked at Alex. “He don’t know,” he said.
Alex swung his fist hard into Miller’s face. There was the faint sound of his arm in flight, then a thud as his fist crushed Miller’s face.
Miller reeled back against the cabin wall, putting his hands to his face.
“Where’s Thayler?”
“I swear I don’t know. If I knew I’d tell you. Honest to God, I don’t know. . . .”
Alex went over to him and pulled his hands away from his face. Blood ran down from his nose and his top lip was split, showing a long yellow tooth. Alex hit him again. He hit him very hard, so that he grunted as he drove the punch home.
Miller’s knees went and he slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
Fenner repeated coldly, “Where’s Thayler?”
Miller sobbed, and mumbled something. Fenner said, “Okay, leave him to me.” He reached inside his coat and pulled out his gun. He walked over to Miller and bent over him. “Get up,” he said harshly. “I’m not making a mess inside here. Come on up on deck.”
Miller looked into the gun barrel, his eyes bulging, then he said in a low, even voice, exhausted with terror, “He’s over at the Leadler dame’s joint.”
Fenner remained squatting. He was very still. “How did he know about it?” he said at last.
Miller leaned his head against the wall. Blood continued to drip from nose and his eyes never left the gun. “Bugsey phoned him,” he whispered.
“Bugsey?
“Yeah.”
Fenner drew a deep breath. “How do you know this?”
With Miller, fear had worn itself out, leaving him with the calmness of death. He said as if he was very tired, “I was just goin’ over when you arrived. Thayler phoned me. He said Bugsey had got him on the phone and told him where the Leadler dame was hiding. Thayler said for me to come and he was gettin’ Nightingale too.”
Fenner straightened and ran to the cabin door. He shouted to Kemerinski, “Push your tub. We’ve got to get back fast.”
Kemerinski said, “She can’t do any more. She’ll bust.
“Then bust her,” Fenner said. “I want more speed.”
When the boat slid into Key West harbor Fenner said, “Alex, you take this Miller to Noolen. Tell him to hide him until I give the word, then I’ll hand him over to the cops.” Alex said, “Hell! Suppose we bump him an’ shove him into the drink?” Fenner’s eyes snapped. “Do what I say.”
