Dewey Strong. His abductor looked like a creature from another planet - or from the pages of a comic book, Joe thought wryly. He wore a black costume that featured flexible bands of body armor around his legs, arms, and torso. His head was covered by a grotesque black insect-head mask topped with antennae. He held Strong with one arm locked around his chest, and the other twisting Strong's left arm behind his back. But in the gathering dusk, it was hard for Joe to see exactly what was going on.
Joe sprang into action and scrambled up a big air-conditioning duct. Strong's legs were still within reach, so he grabbed both of his ankles and tugged. Backing up the wall, Whip Scorpion began to pull on Strong's upper body, but Joe hung on determinedly.
Suddenly Whip Scorpion kicked away from the wall and released Strong's upper body. Joe knew he couldn't hang on to the wiry old cartoonist, so he let go of Strong's legs, too. Joe winced as he heard Strong hit the roof with a loud thud.
Then, before Joe had a chance to react, Whip Scorpion leapt and swept Joe from his perch. He held him in a hammerlock.
Joe heard Whip Scorpion whisper, "Haul me up," and then his words were followed by a burst of static. Joe felt himself being jerked up into the air, and then Whip Scorpion pushed off from the side of the tall building.
Caught in Whip Scorpion's iron grip, Joe swung out over the edge of Strong's building in a wide arc. Far below he could see the street and sidewalk. Suddenly Whip Scorpion pushed off from the building again and let go of Joe.
Joe yelled and watched in horrified fascination as the pavement far below rushed up at him.
Chapter 8
Joe fell past Frank, then was lost to sight.
"Joe!" Frank shouted.
Frank heard a loud crash below. He and Chet and Tom rushed to the edge of the roof and looked down. Joe was several feet below them, dangling by one hand from a bent metal bar supporting some solar panels that were bolted to the front of the building.
"Joe!" Frank yelled again. He tried to reach his brother's hand, but Joe dangled several feet out of reach.
"Hurry, Frank!" Joe called.
Just then the bar Joe had grabbed on to bent with a screech, dropping Joe another foot closer to the ground.
"This thing won't hold!" Joe shouted. "Get me up, quick!"
Frank turned to Chet. "Chet, you've got to hold my ankles while I grab Joe!" Frank felt Chet's strong grip on his ankles, and he wormed his way over to the edge of the roof to hang down headfirst. Joe's outstretched right hand was only inches below his grasp.
"Drop me down a little, Chet," Frank called. He felt his friend ease him a few inches lower, just enough so that Frank managed to grab Joe's wrist in both his hands. Joe let go of the support and grabbed Frank's right arm.
"Pull us up!" Frank ordered through gritted teeth.
Chet gave a mighty heave. Sweat beads popping from his forehead, he rocked back and slowly pulled Frank toward him.
A moment later Chet saw one of Joe's hands suddenly appear on the edge of the roof, then the other hand, then Joe's face, grimacing as he hauled himself up.
When his brother was safely on the roof, Frank let go of him. "You all right, Joe?" he asked with concern.
Joe moved his legs and arms around gingerly. "My right arm almost got pulled out of the socket," he said, "but I'm still breathing."
Frank saw that there were some scratches on Joe's face and arms, but there didn't seem to be any serious injury.
"Man!" Joe said. "Another second and I would have been testing my flying skills!"
The joke suddenly reminded Frank of the costumed kidnapper, and he looked over at the next building. In the dim purple-and-orange glow of sunset, he could make out no movement, but he thought he saw a slender glint of metal along the side of the building.
"They got away again!" Frank exclaimed in frustration.
"Yeah, but at least they didn't get Strong," Joe reminded him. "Let's see how he is."
Joe, Frank, and Chet joined Tom, who was bent over
Joe sprang into action and scrambled up a big air-conditioning duct. Strong's legs were still within reach, so he grabbed both of his ankles and tugged. Backing up the wall, Whip Scorpion began to pull on Strong's upper body, but Joe hung on determinedly.
Suddenly Whip Scorpion kicked away from the wall and released Strong's upper body. Joe knew he couldn't hang on to the wiry old cartoonist, so he let go of Strong's legs, too. Joe winced as he heard Strong hit the roof with a loud thud.
Then, before Joe had a chance to react, Whip Scorpion leapt and swept Joe from his perch. He held him in a hammerlock.
Joe heard Whip Scorpion whisper, "Haul me up," and then his words were followed by a burst of static. Joe felt himself being jerked up into the air, and then Whip Scorpion pushed off from the side of the tall building.
Caught in Whip Scorpion's iron grip, Joe swung out over the edge of Strong's building in a wide arc. Far below he could see the street and sidewalk. Suddenly Whip Scorpion pushed off from the building again and let go of Joe.
Joe yelled and watched in horrified fascination as the pavement far below rushed up at him.
Chapter 8
Joe fell past Frank, then was lost to sight.
"Joe!" Frank shouted.
Frank heard a loud crash below. He and Chet and Tom rushed to the edge of the roof and looked down. Joe was several feet below them, dangling by one hand from a bent metal bar supporting some solar panels that were bolted to the front of the building.
"Joe!" Frank yelled again. He tried to reach his brother's hand, but Joe dangled several feet out of reach.
"Hurry, Frank!" Joe called.
Just then the bar Joe had grabbed on to bent with a screech, dropping Joe another foot closer to the ground.
"This thing won't hold!" Joe shouted. "Get me up, quick!"
Frank turned to Chet. "Chet, you've got to hold my ankles while I grab Joe!" Frank felt Chet's strong grip on his ankles, and he wormed his way over to the edge of the roof to hang down headfirst. Joe's outstretched right hand was only inches below his grasp.
"Drop me down a little, Chet," Frank called. He felt his friend ease him a few inches lower, just enough so that Frank managed to grab Joe's wrist in both his hands. Joe let go of the support and grabbed Frank's right arm.
"Pull us up!" Frank ordered through gritted teeth.
Chet gave a mighty heave. Sweat beads popping from his forehead, he rocked back and slowly pulled Frank toward him.
A moment later Chet saw one of Joe's hands suddenly appear on the edge of the roof, then the other hand, then Joe's face, grimacing as he hauled himself up.
When his brother was safely on the roof, Frank let go of him. "You all right, Joe?" he asked with concern.
Joe moved his legs and arms around gingerly. "My right arm almost got pulled out of the socket," he said, "but I'm still breathing."
Frank saw that there were some scratches on Joe's face and arms, but there didn't seem to be any serious injury.
"Man!" Joe said. "Another second and I would have been testing my flying skills!"
The joke suddenly reminded Frank of the costumed kidnapper, and he looked over at the next building. In the dim purple-and-orange glow of sunset, he could make out no movement, but he thought he saw a slender glint of metal along the side of the building.
"They got away again!" Frank exclaimed in frustration.
"Yeah, but at least they didn't get Strong," Joe reminded him. "Let's see how he is."
Joe, Frank, and Chet joined Tom, who was bent over
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