Men of Mystery

Cabin Fire

Cerulean wasted no time and jumped over to the Carlisle Cab Company to see if they were being extorted too. He arrived in time to see two men with sledgehammers vandalizing the cab in the lot. In the flash of an eye, the man in blue grabbed the hammers from the two men and then slammed them both together. They collided and fell to the ground.

"Who are you?" asked the first man.

"You're worst nightmare," replied Cerulean. "You've got a lot to answer for wrecking these cars."

"It's Carlisle's fault," said the second man. "He owes us money?"

"Protection money?" inquired the cyan sentinel.

"That's no concern of yours."

"It is now."

He grabbed the second man and spun him around in the air.

"No more," cried the second man.

"Fine," said Cerulean. "Come with me." He grabbed both men and jumped over to the nearest police station. The police outside the station couldn't believe their eyes as the azure garbed man landed in front of them.

"These men," Cerulean began, "have been extorting cab drivers and vandalizing cab." He shoved them at a group of officers.

"Reynolds and Garfield," said one policeman. "You're both wanted for theft. What have you been up to?"

"Nothing," said Reynolds.

Cerulean clenched his fists and snared at the man.

"Okay," Reynolds spat, "we're guilty. Just keep him away from me."

"That's all I wanted to hear," said the man in blue before jumping into the sky.

The next day the Daily Record broke the story on the cab extortion ring and later that same day as the two criminals were being driven to prison. In the police car with them ere two guards. Reynolds lit a cigarette and filled the vehicle with smoke. The two guards grew dizzy almost immediately were soon pushed out of the car.

"Why didn't the smoke affect us?" asked Garfield.

"Because the boss knows what he's doing. He made us immune."

When news of the escape reached the newswire, Craig changed to Cerulean and went out looking for them following the route the police car had taken. Soon he spotted the car abandoned next to a cabin just north of Central City.

Crashing through the roof of the cabin, Cerulean found Reynolds in a chair.

"You're coming with me, Reynolds," said the man in blue.

"Guess again," said the criminal.

Suddenly from behind the costumed hero a man stepped out of a side room. He wore a white smock and gown, like that a surgeon. He was bald and an evil grin spread his lips apart.

Cerulean turned, surprised to find someone else in the cabin.

"At last we meet," said the bald man. "I am Lucas Lyster."

"Lyster!" cried the cyan sentinel. "You have a lot to answer for." Cerulean clenched his fists and started towards the newcomer but a electrical charge went through the man in blue and fell unconscious to the ground.

Reynolds examined Cerulean. "He's not dead. That charge would've killed anyone else."

"Yes," said Lyster. "We may find it difficult to destroy him but we must if my plans have any chance of success. Tie him up and see fire to the cabin."

Reynolds did as instructed.

Cerulean awoke minutes later in the midst of the fire. Instantly he jumped into the air to safety. Then he went looking for Lyster and Reynolds but didn't find a trace of either of them.

Hours later, in the home of Linus Trent, the publisher of the Union American and the crime fighter known as the Scarlet Avenger, Cerulean related his encounter with Lyster.

"He's a tricky one," said Trent at the end of the story. "But he couldn't have been behind the extortion ring."

"Hard to say," returned Cerulean. "But Reynolds might just be the connection. Lyster might have needed him for something."

"Maybe," admitted Trent. "Guess we'll know when they turn up again."

That didn't make Cerulean happy. "Regardless, keep your eyes open. Who knows what else they are involved in?"

Trent nodded his head and frowned. It looked like there was a vast criminal organization operating in Central City. And they had to find it before it was too late.