Later that day, in midtown Manhattan:
Lamont Cranston rode in his limo. He'd gotten an unusual message. Doc Savage wanted to see him. He wondered why Savage would want to meet him. After all, the only time they'd met was when Cranston was in his Shadow identity. Surely, Savage couldn't know who the Shadow really was.
Cranston's limousine pulled up to the Empire State Building, where Dr. Clark Savage was waiting. Lamont stepped out.
"This is a pleasure, Doctor Savage," Lamont said. "Its not everyday I get to meet a living legend. If you remember, we did briefly run into each other once."
Savage grinned, but it wasn't a grin of appreciation or conceit. It was a knowing grin, as if he had a secret. Or maybe, he knew a secret.
"Hello, Mr. Cranston," savage said. "Can we speak privately for a few minutes?"
"Certainly," Cranston said. "Step into my auto."
They climbed into the back seat. Cranston activated a soundproof glass shield that cut the driver off from the rear of the car. "He can't hear us now," Cranston said. "So, what can I do for you?"
"Have you heard that Cassandra Coffin was broken out of jail?" Savage asked.
"Yes, I have," Cranston said. "Miss Lane is a bit nervous about it. That was quite a wallop she gave to that Coffin woman."
"I just wanted to suggest that you keep a close eye on her," Savage said. "Don't let her out of your sight."
"Maybe I should hire some bodyguards for her," Cranston suggested.
"That's not what I meant and you know it," the Man of Bronze said.
Cranston kept his cool. Savage's hints were dropping like anvils. "I'm not sure I'm following you."
"Let's cut out the games, Shadow!" Savage said.
"Shadow?" Cranston asked innocently.
"Stop the act, Shadow," Savage said. "The evidence is all there. First, the Shadow has to be a man of means, to be able to run an operation like he does, and build autogyros. Secondly, you're young and healthy, just the right height and rarely seen at night. Thirdly, both Lamont Cranston and the Shadow have been seen in the company of Margo Lane. Fourth, the Shadow first appeared not too long after you returned to New York. Fifth, I saw you, as Lamont Cranston, in Cassandra Coffin's office during our conflict with her last year. When I looked in your eyes, I saw a rare strength and a considerable dark side. Lastly, I heard that you came to visit me at Coney Island hospital while I was unconscious. Why would Lamont Cranston visit someone he'd only met for a minute? Put that all together, and you're the best and only possible suspect. You, Mr. Cranston, are the Shadow!"
The Shadow tried to use his mystical power to cloud men's minds on the brilliant scientist. "You do not think I am the Shadow! You'll disregard the idea! The idea is ridiculous! I am not the Shadow!"
Doc Savage sat cool and composed, unfazed by the mental attack. "That was the final proof I needed. You're the Shadow all right. I am offended, however, that you consider me weak-minded enough to be manipulated like that. I thought I had your respect."
Cranston tried to be casual. "A guy has to try," he said, attempting to be glib. He was concerned that his secret was out. Denying it would do no good now. He had stupidly given himself away by trying to cloud Savage's mind. Savage knew indisputably who he really was. But what would he do with that information? "And now?" he asked.
"I'm not going to expose you," Savage said. "As you pointed out once, I made my own mistakes when I was younger and overly eager to thwart the underworld. My Crime College!"
"Brain surgery on criminals," Cranston said. "Very distasteful."
Savage nodded, "I have to agree. Therefore, I'm not going to judge your own overzealous methods of crime-fighting, even if I don't agree with them."
"Then this is just a friendly warning about the Coffin woman?" Cranston asked.
"Yes," Savage said. "And a suggestion that we share any information we may get. She concerns both of us. And Margo Lane."
Cranston considered and then nodded, "All right, Doctor. I'll agree to that. I respect you, and everyone knows you're trustworthy. I think I can stand working with you again."
"Such high praise," Savage said. "I'm blushing."
"You're bronze."
Savage grinned. "Funny. Who knew the Shadow had a sense of humor?"
"I'll always surprise you," Cranston said. "So, what do you know about this mystery superwoman who broke Coffin out of the Pen?"
"Very little," Savage said. "She's possibly Atlantean. I'm looking into it."
"There's a third person involved in this," Cranston said. "Someone behind the scenes."
"How do you know?" Savage asked.
"The Shadow Knows!"he said, in his most spooky voice.
"And on that note, I'll be leaving," Savage said. "Let me out here. And call me when you know anything."
"You'll be hearing from me."
Savage got out of the car. As Cranston was about to order the driver to pull away, he noticed the two cars slowly rolling up the street. They were filled with Asian men. There were ten men in all. They watched Savage. As the Man of Bronze took a shortcut through an alleyway, the cars pulled to a stop and the ten men got out, following him into the dark alley.
"It's always something," Cranston said.
Meanwhile, Savage was walking slowly down the alley. He knew that the men were following him and so he ducked into the alley to confront them in a spot where no bystanders would be hurt. He waited as they closed in on him. He heard them muttering in Mandarin, positioning themselves for the fight.
<"What can I do for you, Gentlemen?"> Savage asked, in Mandarin.
<"Regards of Lady Coffin!"> one said.
Pulling out swords reminiscent of the Mongol style of battle saber, they attacked. Savage pulled out a gas bomb from his many-pocketed vest, and tossed it. It exploded, and a black cloud obscured everyone's vision. Swords swung randomly. Savage pulled out a pair of special glasses that allowed him to see them via body-heat. He attacked, moving with amazing quickness, and striking with incredible strength. He knocked several of them out. A few of the swords found their mark, but bounced harmlessly off of the bulletproof vest. Savage was hoping that he could finish off the rest of the Asian hitmen before the breeze dispersed the gas cloud.
Suddenly, a new fighter bounded into the fray. He wore black, with a broad-rimmed hat and a red scarf covering his face. The Shadow had arrived! He joined Savage, side-by-side.
"Isn't it a little early for you to be out?" Savage asked him, while simultaneously punching an assassin.
"Someone has to look after you," the Shadow replied, as he kicked the sword from a foe's hand.
The Shadow grabbed a sword and hacked away at the assassins with one hand, and used his gun with the other. Combined with Savage's formidable strength, most of the group of killers was killed or injured. A few were unconscious. One panicked and ran. The fight was over.
"That was bracing," the Shadow said.
Savage looked sadly at the dead men. "I realize you were just trying to help me, but was that necessary?"
"You'd prefer it were you, doctor?" the Shadow asked.
"I didn't say that, exactly," Savage said. "But this is another example of overkill. Literally."
"I feel no guilt," the Shadow said.
"I believe that," Savage said. "I should call the paramedics. By the way, they were sent by Lady Coffin. We expected her to make her move, but she was quicker that we expected. You should go check on Miss Lane."
"I'm going right now," the Shadow said, looking down at the Asian hitmen. This struck a familiar cord. The hallmark of an old enemy! "He's back!" the Shadow whispered, as he slipped out of sight.
Denny Colt was trying to find out where Lady Coffin and her powerful blue accomplice were hiding. Colt knew that someone had to be giving them shelter, and if he could find out who, he could track the fugitive women.
Colt had a source known as "the Monk". The Monk was a not-so-religious Brother who didn't take his holy vows too seriously. He'd do almost anything for some quick cash. Since the Monk had some old friends who were deeply involved in the underworld, and who talked too much, foolishly believing that the Monk would honor his promise of confidentiality, the Monk always had a pipeline into the criminal underworld! He knew who was doing what. And for a price, the Monk would tell anyone anything.
Colt met the Monk's price and found out some facts that interested him. He learned that someone has recently been doing some heavy recruiting for a new Asian mob growing in Chinatown. They had picked up a lot of poor, Asian immigrants as manpower. But they also picked up someone else, as well. Someone who Denny Colt was extremely interested in. Colt learned that the notorious Dr. Cobra might be involved. Rumors placed Doctor Cobra in the vicinity, talking to those same recruiters.
Colt had been after Dr. Cobra for a long time, and was frustrated by his failure to catch the inventor-for-hire. Capturing Doc Cobra had become an obsession for Colt. If Cobra was involved in this, then Colt was now a hundred times more determined to put a stop to all this!
Lamont Cranston and Margo rode in Cranston's limousine. Margo was a bit worried about Lady Coffin coming after her, but she tried not to dwell on that. She listened to Lamont's suspicions about who the Asian mastermind behind this whole scheme might be.
"Shiwan Kahn?" she asked. "You think he's back?"
Cranston nodded. "I think it's a safe bet. All the evidence points to him. I knew he didn't die in that explosion. I've been waiting for him to show his face again, and it seems that he has."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to use all my resources to find him," Lamont said. "And when I do, I'll kill him once and for all!"
That night . . .
The Shadow was investigating Health Aid Pharmacies. The business connections he'd made as Lamont Cranston helped him zero in on several companies that might be dummy corporations for Lady Coffin. He'd checked out three, and now was visiting the fourth.
The Shadow knew something was wrong as soon as he got there. The security guards were conspicuously absent, the alarm wasn't activated and the rear fire door was unlocked. Also, a van from the local fish hatchery was parked in the lot near the fire door. All this meant one thing to the Shadow . . . Someone was inside, and they weren't employees.
The Shadow made his way in, hugging the shadows and moving as quiet as a cat. In the rear of the pharmacy, some silhouetted figures were moving around. Upon closer inspection, the Shadow could see that they were all Asian and were removing some items from the shelves and cabinets. The Shadow could tell that this was an inside job.
Moving in on the group of thieves, the Shadow clouded their minds, making himself invisible to them. "Closing time, little men!" the Shadow said in a booming, sinister voice.
The group of burglars looked around in alarm. They couldn't see who was speaking to them, but the voice scared the hell out of them. Drawing their guns, they searched around, preparing to gun down anyone saw. But they saw no one.
They felt his fists, though. They felt the power behind his powers, and his kicks. In short order, they were rendered unconscious, never having seen their opponent. The Shadow relaxed, thinking that he had finished off the last of the gang. He was wrong!
Dorma had been hiding in the van when she saw him go inside. She followed him, with the stealth of a marine creature and the grace of royalty. Her blue skin blending in with the darkness, she sneaked up on the Shadow. He caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye and quickly started to draw his gun. But he was a fraction of a second too late. Dorma struck him with incredible power. The Shadow was sent sailing through the air and crashed through a window. An alarm blared.
He slammed to the concrete outside in a hail of glass. Stunned, he lay there for almost a minute, unable to rise. When he finally managed to drag himself to his feet, he stumbled slowly back into the pharmacy. As he had expected, the blue woman was gone, along with her stolen pharmaceuticals. The van outside was gone as well.
The Asian henchmen were still lying unconscious on the floor. The alarm would quickly bring the police. The Shadow decided to let them handle it. He was too sore and tired to waste time on the small fry. He needed the rest of the night to recover. Tomorrow, he was going to hunt down that woman and her boss, who was surely Shiwan Kahn! Who else could it be?
In his hidden lair under Chinatown, the Asian mastermind watched as Dr. Hippocrates Cobra put the finishing touches on the formula he was working on. A formula that would, very soon, be spilled into the New York City water supply. Lady Dorma had returned with the last of the ingredients he needed. Now, it was only a matter of time. Very little time.
The Chinaman wore a blue oriental robe with a high collar and a golden sash. His fingernails were like talons. He had a metal cap over his bald head and a long mustache. He watched with glee as his plan neared the time when he would launch phase one. He laughed.
The Yellow Claw laughed.
"Soon," the Yellow Claw said to Cobra. "Soon, this City, which is seen as the epitome of the modern western city, will taste the vengeance of the superior Asian race. And it will be only the first! My native land of China was subjugated by Japan because the westerners choked us economically. Now that we won our freedom, I will see that the United States, England and their Western allies will soon fall under the thumb of the vile Japanese regime. They will know how we felt, being conquered by those savage warriors. The grand nation of America will be a colony of Tojo's Japanese hoards! And China will have the last laugh, when we ultimately conquer Japan and thus rule the world!"
Next: The story continues next issue, where Wonder Woman battles the rogue Atlantean Dorma.