Khan does not make any moves against The Shadow during the next 48 hours. Crime seems to subside, giving the police a much needed breather to catch up on paperwork and do some high quality investigating, but even the dependable instincts of Cardona are unable to turn up anything beyond the fact that crime was on the rise, and something sinister
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Wandering thugs and lookouts peer from around corners and between threadbare drapes. There's easily a good dozen mobsters milling in the shadows in preparation for the heist.
In the room there are half as many, but it's still only what The Shadow can see. There may be more hidden around the neighborhood and elsewhere in the building. It's doubtful their numbers are any more than double what he's noted though, as such a large crew would already have drawn too much attention to its arrival.
As he watches from behind the grate, the light suddenly turns off of its own accord, and then slowly begins to blink in a strobe-like fashion. It's a common tool of Khan's to hypnotize new followers, and it makes reaching former victims that much easier. The light remains blinking as Khan's mental influence seems to flood the minds of those watching the bulb.
They are receiving detailed instructions that include the safe combination, what to take from the safe, and how they are to make their getaway. Each will take a share of the goods from the safe, ensuring a better chance of most of the articles within making it to Khan, and also, to help throw off police investigations. They have each already received directions for their drop-off points.
The far-off sound of a gong rings in their ears, and mechanically, they all stand. The light stops blinking, and they all look around for a moment, bewildered. There are two thugs that are apparently seasoned to this sort of experience, and they go about the room, shaking each man and rousing them to action.
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When the light begins to flash his first instinct is to shut his eyes, but he quickly works at making his psychic presence a quiet one, while attempting to remain receptive. Without being one of Khan's minions, he's unlikely to receive much of the hypnotic suggestions, and he does not want Shiwan Khan to note an extra mind receptive to the instructions. He still feels very briefly, mildly dazed when the hypnosis ends, more from his own efforts than what the master criminal has done. Those few moments while the thugs rouse each other buy him his own opportunity to recover, and the moment they leave the room he is ready to remove the grate over the ventilation shaft and slip out to follow them.
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Khan's warrior takes his time once the thugs are preparing to break into the apartment and when he reaches the door of the room with the light bulb he is casual as he slides the key into the lock. Inside the apartment, the sound echoes.
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Before the warrior even realizes a threat exists, The Shadow is upon him, aiming to pin his sword arm and put the knife at his throat.
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He is a brute of a man, and though shorter than The Shadow, he is thick, stocky and powerful.
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"Be still! What was your purpose in this room?" The words are hissed against his ear, and not in English. The Old Tiger doesn't have much expectation of a useful answer, but it's worth asking just in case.
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There's a betraying moment, where he glances toward the bulb and fixture, and then he thrashes, feeling the blade bite into his throat. As he starts to sputter and gag, he attempts to drive the elbow of his off-hand for The Shadow's ribs with his quickly waning strength.
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It was an ugly battle, but brief, and he slips along the hall and up the roof access with stealthy speed to catch up to the other men working for Khan.
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The fate that awaits those threatening the gentleman may not be so kind, as he's quick to shift his grip so he can use the automatics for their intended purpose...
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"He's not going to be happy about all this. You were supposed to have everything ready. I'll ask you for the last time, what's the hold up?" The man is menaced by a gun and quivers.
"I...I've worked for Mr. Tillson for years. I've never done anything wrong before! I don't wanna go to jail!"
"You'll have a lot worse things to worry about than jail for going back on Khan!"
From a door within the room that looks like a closet there is the sound of someone banging the door within. A muffled voice floats from it.
"Michael?! What's going on?!"
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This is all to The Shadow's advantage, as the man they are menacing has just been classed among the criminals. Now that he knows this man, too, is guilty of crime, he is no longer quite so worried about his position among men who are targets for his justice.
Knowing that there are men stationed throughout the area, waiting to entrap the police, The Shadow knows that gunfire will draw attention. On the other hand, he would rather they be drawn up here towards himself and away from men who are less prepared to face that onslaught. One man can escape them more easily, although two men may make things tricky. It's his intention to get the victim in all this out safely, after all.
From the window he launches himself into the midst of the thugs, straight for 'Michael', aiming another solid thump to the head. He does not seem deserving of death, and rendering him quickly unconscious will put him out of the line of fire from the thugs as well. With that lunge he has put himself squarely in the middle of their group and made himself an ideal target in the other man's place. Or so it seems.
If they get out a few cries of his name to draw their friends before the shooting begins, all the better.
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