I dived across the room and landed on Katz. He tried to get his leg up to kick at me, but he was just too late. His rod had jerked out of his hand and had fallen on the floor somewhere. I thought Ackie would be bright enough to collect it.
Katz got a grip round the barrel of my chest that surprised me. This guy looked a thin dope, but he’d got plenty of what it takes. Before I could grab him, he had tossed me away so that I came down hard on Blondie. I was too rattled to care much about that, and as I scrambled to my feet Katz swung his legs round and caught me in a scissor-grip round the neck. I knew all about those sort of tricks, and I had his shoe off and was giving his big toe the works before he could start to put on any pressure.
“Sock into him,” Ackie yelled from the doorway. “Give him hell, Buddy.”
It broke the hold all right, but I collected a stiff kick in the face as I was getting set to jump him. I was glad that the kick came from the foot without a shoe, otherwise I should have seen a few bright lights.
Anyway, I went over backwards and it gave Katz time to get off the bed, then I went for him again. I was remembering Mardi now, so I hit that guy hard where it would hurt him. It did. He flopped on the bed, his eyes glazing. I had him by his long hair and snapped another wallop to his jaw just to make sure. He went out like a light.
I stood over him, blowing on my knuckles.
“I was just beginning to enjoy it,” Ackie said. “You shouldn’t’ve washed him up that quick.”
I went round the bed and gathered Blondie up. She’d lost her hat, but she still looked as suspicious and hard as ever. I put her in the one armchair and made sure that she wouldn’t fall forward.
Ackie leant against the doorpost watching. “Gee! This looks like one of those horror plays,” he said, jerking his head at Katz, lying flat on the bed, and then over to Blondie.
“I’ve got to get this guy round. I want him to talk,” I said. “Lend a hand, Mo; we’ll tie him up first in case he starts trouble.”