"The Deacon's activities seem to have flourish these past months," he said, grasping onto the edge of the stone gargoyle's wing, part of the rendition of the old St. Michael's Church. He let go, as he fell into the cloud of blackness that covered the city in the mid of night. His disappearance was unnoticed, for below, the burglars where already stashing their loot onboard their 1931 Marmon.

"Do you think the boss will give us a raise for this, Mickey?"

"Hope so, Luz. Been waiting for a good vacation nowadays . . . "

The owl perched on top of the gas-lit lamp post, hooting. The startled muggers turned, expecting someone. Or something.

"It's the Shadow, Luz! Comin' to get us! What we're gonna do now, Tear?"

The man with the fedora hat came into the range of the light, with revealed himself. His black mask covered his face, a white tear on the left eye marked him in the darkness. "Quiet, Mickey, and do what the Deacon says."

"Yes, boss."

They haul in the last relic, when out of the blue, an echo emanated from the winds. A laugh of grim malice, as the burglars began to back away. Suddenly, Luz was kicked sharply, as a dark figure moved in the light.

"There! Did you se--"

Gunshots.

Lamont fell on his feet, then rolled back into the darkness. Mickey dropped dead on the ground, as the masked man turned to the Shadow.

"Impressive, have I not seen your work til now." Lamont drew his guns, revealing the brightness reflecting on its tip. As he fired, the man rolled back. He flipped into the air, grabbing the pole, and disappeared into the darkness. His hat fell onto the ground. Luz moaned painfully, right the Shadow stood before him.

"Know this. Tell your boss the Deacon that the Shadow shall bring him down. No matter where he hides, I will find him."

Luz blinked for a second, and he was gone. He got up, and decided to leave with the treasures. That's when he realized they were gone as well. The work of the Shadow.

"Impressive," the man in the shadows told him. Tear leaned back on his seat, smoking a tobacco. "Well, he was really impressive boss. Garnered that he can read our minds too."

"Please, Tear. We are friends. Call me the Deacon," the man said as he stroked his black cat, and it purred softly. Tear was observant, eyeing every action of this Deacon. "I know who you really are, Kahn." Tear said, for they were alone in the room. Kahn smiled, as the cat leapt his arm, beady eyes staring at the masked hunter. "That's why I didn't have to use my mind-clouding abilities on you, Tear. You know so much about me already . . . do I even bother?"

"Well, now that you've seen him at his peak of action, what next? Do we kill him now?"

Kahn's eyes glinted at that ecstatic thought. Then he calmed himself down. "Not now, Tear. I still have a move on this game. I would like . . . to make full use of my turn, as you Americans can say."

The cat jumped from his lap, and disappeared into the black shadows. "I would like you to knock at Lamont's door, Tear. And make sure you make it loud enough for his heart to hear."

"No, he's not here anymore," Lamont told himself, as he stood from the skyscraper, eyeing the buildings below. "As you said, Mister Scar Monet, he was supposed to have relocated here. Are you telling me the truth?"

The man known as Scar Monet sneered, but soon began to cling to dear life as the Shadow swerved him right across the edge of the skyscraper. "Y-yea! D-dat's what Deacon told me!" he said panic. The Shadow then threw him back into the safety of the rooftop, and Monet tried to grab onto his sanity. He can't see his assailant, what good would it do him if he didn't talk?

"Tell me all the other possible locations where I can find him," the Shadow said angrily, as Monet got back on his feet.

"'kay already. Give me a minute . . . " he said, as he reached for his gun behind his back. Suddenly, the gun flew into the air, and fell off the building. Monet gulped, as the Shadow's voice grew angrier.

"If you're not telling me the truth, Scar, I can make sure . . . " he said, beginning to turn visible. "That by the time I turn visible, my face is the last thing you'll ever see."

Monet gulped, as Lamont began to materialize. His panicked thoughts registered loud, too loud for Lamont to ignore.

{He's already into it! I..I . . . can't betray the Deacon!}

"I'm waiting, you have 30 seconds."

{ . . . blast it, what am I to--}

"I can already see my hands . . . "

{ . . . no. Deacon'll kill me}

"I can kill you too," the Shadow said, interrupting Monet in his thoughts. "Or you don't believe me?"

As Monet faced the Shadow, he was already visible, except for his face. But that could have been easily arranged.

"10 seconds."

{Heck with it already! I--}

Suddenly, the Shadow became fully visible, and grabbed Monet and threw him off the building.

{NO!}

Then, his hand reached out, and grabbed Monet in midair. There, Scar Monet saw the face of the masked vigilante in fear. "Now, will you tell me where the Deacon is hiding?"

Monet said his Hail Marys, swept in fear.

"I . . . I'll talk."

A knocking sound came from outside of Cranston's mansion.

"Coming!" Margo exclaimed, rushing down the stairs. She had been directed by Lamont to wait for him for their date, because he had business to attend to. The servants weren't around, so she had to answer the door. How hard could that be? She didn't expect that on the other door, someone was waiting with an intent of their own . . .

Knock.

"Coming already!"

Knock. Knock.

"Don't get your shoes in a rut! I'm almost there!"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Margo took a deep breath, stared at the door, and slowly jerked it open.

"Hel--"

There was a grave silence.

"It is time," Shiwan Kahn said, as he traversed into the secret panel of the oriental room, and entered the majestic Chinese altar. On it, the Jade Phoenix perched, its wings glinting the mirrors that surrounded it. Shiwan grinned, placing his hands on the relic, as it glowed with omnipotent brilliance . . .

The Shadow leapt above the sky, and landed on top of the Casino-styled building. "Roulette District," Lamont said to himself, as he jumped across the gap, then grabbing the edge of the building. He climbed up, and brushed himself off. Then a thought crossed his mind.

{He's here.}

The Gatling gun began to fire swiftly towards the invisible vigilante. Instantly, the Shadow backed away, then leapt into the sky. He couldn't laugh, not in his position. Masked henchmen began to appear out of nowhere. "How could they know I'm here?"

It could be the work of the Deacon. Or Shiwan. But as he remembered, Shiwan disappeared long after the Jade Phoenix incident.

He managed to kick the masked gunman off the controls, and the gun began to fire at any direction, hitting anyone in its range. Lamont drew his gun, and fired into its mechanism. It jolted, as the bullet stopped the movement of the screws. Suddenly, the Shadow jumped off, as it exploded into metal debris. As the clouds of dust dispersed, he stood up, and took of the mask of the henchman nearest him.

"A Chinese?" Lamont stammered, and turned to the others.

He took off another mask.

And another.

And another.

"All of them . . . how could the Deacon manage something like this?" Suddenly, a whimper startled Lamont, and he turned, to find a young Chinese boy sitting in the corner. "Hello . . . " He said, trying to comfort the boy.

"Wo bu zhi dao ni! Wo bu zhi dao ni!*" The boy screamed in panicked fear. As the Shadow turned visible. "I'm sorry," he said, knocking the boy out, and placing him on the couch.

*(I don't know you! I don't know you!)

"They can't speak English then . . . could they be from overseas!?!" Lamont exclaimed, all knowing what Shiwan played in this game. "So, the Deacon's already smuggling illegal immigrants . . . obviously, with the help of Shiwan. But how does this tie up? I don't see the logic in thi . . . "

He then came to darker realization. His mind veered off the topic for a minute, as the image of Margo Lane came into his mind.

He knows who I am.

"I'm sorry, miss," Van Ness said, as Margo sat on the chair. Pierce gave her some tea to comfort her. "I didn't mean to shock you and anything, but we came for information. You see, Mister Lamont Cranston has been from the Orient, and he may give us information on the increase of opium trade in New York."

"I don't know . . . and I don't think Lamont had anything to do with this!"

"Pierce, give me exhibit A."

Pierce handed over the packet of white powder to Van Ness, and he then passed it to Margo. "Do you know what this is?"

"Opium."

"Not just any ordinary opium. The docs at the hospital analyzed it . . . gives mental hallucinations to the people, an outlet to release their stress. Problem is, it clogs their brain system. Shuts the nerves. Worst of all, it can happen in over a short span of time, two days or three, give or take. Listen ma'am. The death rate in New York's been increasing. From four a day to eleven a day. Eighty percent of those deaths have been caused by those special drugs you're holding now."

"Oh my god . . . "

Van Ness stood up, and got his coat and hat. Pierce opened the door, as Van Ness stepped out into the night. Margo stared off closely, as Pierce turned to her.

"If you or Mister Cranston have any information on this, we would appreciate it if you called us."

"We'll do that, detective. Thank you."

The door slammed shut. Margo sat on the chair, trying relax for a few minutes. What would Lamont know about this?

Knock.

"It's rather quick for them to come back," she said, as she got up from the chair, and opened the door.

"Hello."

The figure grabbed her, and placed gagged her with a rag that reeked of ether. Margo drifted into a deep sleep, as the men began searching the house. A few minutes later, they returned.

"What? No sign of Cranston?" Tear said, rather disappointed. "I was really hoping to meet the Shadow."

One of them grabbed Margo, and dragged her into the van. Tear, unemotionally turned away. "Well, you've trashed his place. He'll consider this a warning. Anyway, we do have bait," he said, as the slammed the hallowed doors of the mansion shut, as if nothing ever happened.

"What happened?" Lamont whispered to himself, as he dwelled into the mansion. Margo was nowhere in sight.

"I knew it," he said, with the fury of his wrath seemingly losing control, as he darted out the mansion, and into the night.

There's only one place left to go. I'll corner that rat, Shiwan. This time, no more games. The next time we meet, you'll wish it be your last.

The Chinese people were already bowing down on his feet. Shiwan Kahn was once again, the true ruler of the underworld. And he had Subjects. Already, more were coming overseas: men, women, children. They will be fire of the dragon spirit of the Chinese. They shall make America bow before their might. Shiwan then brought out the Jade Phoenix. Its mystical power swayed everyone, and gave him the ultimate gift. He sat before his throne, grinning devilishly. Above, Margo was chained to a cross, struggling to free herself.

"Do you know, Miss Lane, that you will be served as our bait?"

"It is an obvious ploy," she said sarcastically, as the bonds seemed to be loosening itself. But she couldn't, to her dismay.

"I assure you, Miss Lane, you will never escape until the Shadow arrives."

In his mind, Shiwan Kahn was sure that time was closing in soon.

"The Emerald Tower, the sixty floor sky rise," the Shadow uttered. He was on another building, ten feet away, and the gap was wide. He wouldn't be able to make it. Lamont took a grappling hook, and swung it across. It landed and caught the railings. He made sure it was tight, then tied the other end to his waist.

Then he flew.

The impact would be strong, as he neared the building at a speed no one should do.

The crash was inevitable. The Shadow, now turning invisible, rolled across the floor, as green glass shards fell onto the Chinese guards. They were shooting at something they couldn't see, as Lamont made a fierce kick connect to the glass jaw of the one left to him. He then let his punch go, and knocked out the other one. Soon enough more guards came, and released his gun belt. As the belt flew in mid-air, the gun fell, right into his hands. The endless barrage of bullets drowned the guards as their last words faded away.

The Shadow continued his way, the sound of crunching glass was the only way he could have been heard. He then seemingly found himself in the Oriental Room, an inborn garden filled with real flowers. He closed his eyes, and listened to the thoughts.

Suddenly, he found one, and broke the secret panel, as the passageway opened. The guard, surprised, was grabbed by the collar, and thrown by the garden pond, rendering him unconscious. Lamont was too busy, too angry.

As he entered the mirrored altar room, he noticed the grand paintings above him. They were smuggled into America, no doubt by Shiwan Kahn. Then, a voice echoed across the room.

"Hello, Shadow," Tear said, as his voice began to bounce back and forth, like at trance. "I have been meaning to fight you all this time . . . "

"Where's your boss!?!?! Where's Shiwan Kahn!?!"

Tear appeared behind him, and as the Shadow turned, he now in front. "I will tell you one thing, Shadow," Tear said all too casually, ignoring the anger seething through Lamont. "As much as I want to fight you now, it seems you have other plans. Okay, I'll help you find Shiwan Kahn."

Lamont paused for a minute, then turned to the Tear. "A second here . . . why would you help me?"

"Because," Tear said, as he smashed he hand into the mirror revealing a secret switch, "normally, only Shiwan can access this switch. It allows him to enter the catacombs below . . . "

"Catacombs?"

"The basement," Tear said casually, as the altar began to separate, revealing an elevator. "You'll need to take this elevator down. However, there is a problem. You see, Shiwan has been able to create a tunnel, leading to a hidden port. He is already smuggling illegal Chinese immigrants into the United States, all part of his plan."

The Shadow got inside the elevator, as Tear commandeered the buttons, setting it for the basement floor. "He's creating an army of Chinese to overthrow the government, and recreating a new dynasty of power. I'm not exactly ready for Emperor 'Kahn' yet. He's been using the opium drugs to finance for weapons with the gunpower enough to destroy New York. You must hurry, there's only fifteen minutes until he launches his first assault. From what I have heard from him, he also has the power of a certain artifact, which gives unlimited . . . "

"I get the picture," Lamont muttered, as the elevator began to descend. Tear walked away, as the altar returned to its old position, as if nothing even occurred.

"However, next time we meet, we will fight," Tear said, hoping that the Shadow had heard his challenge.

"The descent is too slow, I won't make it," the Shadow said to himself, as the elevator went deeper and deeper into the abyss. Suddenly, it stopped in its descent, as the cables began to break loose.

"Not a good time," Lamont muttered, grabbing his grappling hook. Then, he attached the hook to one of the mechanical devices that held the elevator in position, as he climbed out and got up on the top. He tied the other end to his waist once more, and held onto the handles. "Well, this is for Margo. God, please have me survive this."

He cut the cables loose.

Instantly, the elevator plunged down to the ground at an amazing speed, as the Shadow held on for dear life. Suddenly, he released it, and flew against the wind in mid-air, as the elevator crashed on the basement floor, then exploded in an inferno of flames. The blazes nearly touched Lamont, as he fell near the fire. Then the rope held tight, as he bounced back up, but not before he grabbed hold of one of the railings.

He landed himself on the ground, as he brushed off the cinder on his face. "So this is what he meant with catacombs," Lamont exclaimed in awe, as before him, the lifelike model of the Forbidden City was moving in activity.

The Chinese began to panic. They drew their guns, fearing an ambush. But this wasn't the Japanese. It wasn't like the time they were in China. Their new emperor promised them so.

Shiwan Kahn stood before the common populace and grinned. He pointed in the direction of the boat, telling everyone to go prepare for the battle. They were going to start early.

To the surroundings before him, Shiwan called out to the Shadow. "How do you like it? It is the eighth wonder of the world, is it not? Deacon has constructed the Emerald Tower for me a long time ago, and the catacombs . . . well, this city is my own creation. The hands of my proud people gave birth to this magnificent structure!"

"By illegal labor?" Lamont said, as his voice echoed across the room. "Your game is over, Shiwan. Your boy told me all about it."

"Oh? Tear betrayed me? Well, he is just a pawn after all. However . . . "

Shiwan said, as the cross dropped, with Margo strapped on it. "I'm sure this is not a pawn. Would you like her freed, my friend?"

"Let her go."

"We'll see," Shiwan said, dropping his robe to the ground. Instantly, Lamont flung his first move a kick across Shiwan. Unfortunately, Kahn knew his every move, and dropped him down within seconds.

"Don't you see, my friend? I have been given the ultimate power." Shiwan brought out the Jade Phoenix, as it began glowing with power. "I have been given a wish. To recreate a safeheaven for my people. That is here and now."

The Shadow did not hesitate, as he reached out, hands invisible but outstretched to snatch the relic. Shiwan backed away, sensing his movements, and sent a well aimed straight into Lamont's chest. He doubled back onto the ground, awestruck.

"It's time you learned the true power of the Jade Phoenix."

The relic began to shine like a bright star, and as Shiwan Kahn felt its glorious omnipower.

Then the Shadow struck. "No--" his words faded as Lamont threw a brick towards the Jade Phoenix. It smashed into millions of pieces, to the shock of Shiwan. As the shards fell onto the ground, the Shadow made his steps, moving in a brisk pace, tackling Shiwan.

"No." The Chinese ganglord made his escape through the palace walls. Lamont hesitated, then turned back to Margo, and broke the chains that bound her. "Are you okay?"

" . . . who are you?"

"Someone you should be grateful to. Follow me, there's only one escape left."

The underground pier.

Shiwan Kahn and his army were sailing away, aboard the cargo ship, as they made their way towards the end of the tunnel, which led under the Port of New York. He ordered his flank to prepare fire, as they readied the Gatling guns.

"I won't reach them in time at this pace," the Shadow said, as Margo grabbed a piece of dynamite.

"Will this help?"

The Shadow turned to her grabbed it.

"There's some gunpowder by the end of the tunnel, maybe we can set it off," she said, pointing at a gray blur far-off at the end. The cargo ship was only a few feet away from that distance.

"Thank you . . . ," the Shadow said, as he threw the dynamite stick. The explosion shattered the tunnel, as debris fell on the Chinamen below. Some jumped off the ship, as Shiwan began shouting angrily in his native tongue. "This place is regular firetrap," Lamont commented, grabbing a batch of dynamite sticks. "If the cargo ship has a storage of gunpowder, we can set it off . . . "

He began to run. The men were firing at him, as his trail of gunpowder left a mark. Suddenly the dynamite flew on its own, and landed on the cargo hold.

A series of explosions were set off. As Shiwan Kahn's ship exploded, its blaze collapsing the tunnel. Margo suddenly found herself pushed into the water, as someone dragged her underwater . . .

"The calls were getting frequent, had to check," Pierce said to Van Ness, as they dragged the Chinamen to shore, and arresting them. "These are illegal deportments . . . we should send them back as soon as possible." Van Ness lit his cigarette, and then pointed out to the waters. " . . . hey, wasn't that . . . ?"

Margo waved to the police, as they dragged her on shore.

"What happened? Did you . . . ?" Pierce's voice was drowned by Margo's relief.

"It was him," she said, as Van Ness began to scratch his head. "He saved me . . . "

"Who . . . ?"

She only turned to them, face wet. "The Shadow, detectives. He saved us all . . . "

"How do you know that . . . ?"

She only smiled, as the sunlight began to etch its way across the horizon.

"I know he's out there," Lamont told himself, as he watched the morning break atop the Emerald Tower. "Shiwan Kahn didn't die in that explosion . . . I can sense it," he said, as the shadows began to disappear. "That was too close . . . if it were any graver . . . it would have been all over for America . . . or me."

The shadows faded into the day, and Lamont Cranston as well, along for the ride of the night. Forever intertwined.

Next issue: Doc Savage!