“Tonight?”
“No. I think I can count on a few days of grace. But after that — “
Prescott began to pound one palm with the fist of his other hand. His haggard face showed signs of long, uninterrupted strain. He was nearing the breaking point. With an effort, he regained control of himself and sat down on the edge of a chair.
“Fellows,” he said, “I’ve talked too much. I did it to cover up. I thought that if I acted wise, as though I’d been checking up on gang stuff as a hobby, no one would ever suspect that Horace Prescott was in the racket, himself.
“It worked all right until I became foolish. It was when I began to play with rival gangs that they figured I was giving them the double cross.
“Now I’m slated to be put on the spot. On the spot, Fellows! You know what that means!”
The other man interrupted.
“Outside of Chicago — ” he began.
“It’s all the same,” replied Prescott. “They’ll follow me anywhere. They’ll get me!”
“Outside of Chicago,” repeated Fellows insistently, “you will be safe. I promised you that you would be protected, once you were clear of this city.